brake light MERCEDES-BENZ GLK SUV 2012 Owner's Guide

Towing a trailer
If you attach a trailer, make sure that you have
correctly established the electrical connec-
tion. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting.
Off-road driving systems
4MATIC (permanent all-wheel drive)
G
WARNING
4MATIC cannot reduce the risk of an accident
if you drive too fast.
If a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip:
R only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
R accelerate less when driving.
R adapt your driving style to suit road and
traffic conditions.
! Never tow the vehicle with one axle
raised. This may damage the transfer case.
Damage of this sort is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz implied warranty. All
wheels must remain either on the ground
or be fully raised. Observe the instructions
for towing the vehicle with all wheels in full
contact with the ground.
4MATIC ensures that all four wheels are per-
manently driven. Together with ESP ®
and
ETS, it improves the traction of your vehicle
whenever a drive wheel spins due to insuffi-
cient grip.
i In wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if
you use winter tyres (M+S tyres), with snow
chains if necessary.
! When testing the parking brake, operate
the vehicle only briefly (for a maximum of
ten seconds) on a brake test dynamometer.
When doing this, turn the key to position
0 or 1in the ignition. Failure to do this can
cause damage to the drive train or the
brake system. !
A function or performance test should
only be carried out on a twin-axle dyna-
mometer. Before you operate the vehicle
on such a dynamometer, please consult a
qualified workshop. You could otherwise
damage the drive train or the brake system.
For information about "Driving off-road", see
(Y page 170). DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)
Important safety notes i
DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation) is only
available for vehicles with the Off-Road
Engineering package.
DSR is an aid to assist you when driving down-
hill. It keeps the speed of travel at the speed
selected on the on-board computer. The
steeper the downhill gradient, the greater the
DSR braking effect on the vehicle. When driv-
ing on flat stretches of road or on an uphill
gradient, the DSR braking effect is minimal or
non-existent. G
WARNING
DSR is only an aid designed to assist you when
driving downhill. You are responsible for keep-
ing control of the vehicle and for assessing
whether the downhill gradient can be man-
aged.
When activating DSR the vehicle may brake
suddenly due to DSR intervening. This is
dependent on the downhill gradient and the
difference between the current speed and the
speed set. DSR may not always be able to
keep to the set speed, depending on road sur-
face and tyre conditions. You could lose con-
trol of the vehicle and cause an accident.
Select a set speed suitable for the prevailing
conditions and when necessary, apply the
brakes manually.
DSR controls the vehicle’s speed when it is
activated and the transmission is in position
D, Ror N. By accelerating or braking, you can Off-road driving systems
213Driving and parking Z

always drive at a higher or a lower speed than
that set on the on-board computer. G
WARNING
If you depress the accelerator pedal with DSR
activated, then the set speed can be excee-
ded. Drive downhill with special care and
always keep in mind that DSR brakes the vehi-
cle as soon as you remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. The vehicle may brake sud-
denly due to DSR intervening, depending on
the downhill gradient and the difference
between the current speed and the set speed.
You could lose control of the vehicle and
cause an accident.
For information about driving off-road, see
(Y page 170).
Activating/deactivating DSR Activating
You can only activate DSR when driving at
speeds below 30 km/h.
X
Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up.
Vehicles with the 4-button multifunction
steering wheel: a message appears in the
left-hand status indicator, e.g. DSR DSR
4 km/h
4 km/h.
Vehicles with the luxury multifunction steer-
ing wheel (12 buttons): the DSR display, for
example, may appear in the multifunction dis-
play: If the current vehicle speed is too high, the
DSR icon appears in the multifunction dis-
play. In addition, on vehicles with a multifunc-
tion steering wheel (4 button) the
Max. Max.
speed
speed 30 km/h
30 km/h message is displayed and in
vehicles with the luxury multifunction steer-
ing wheel (12 button) the Max. speed Max. speed
30 km/h
30 km/h message is displayed.
To deactivate
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;goes out.
DSR symbol appears in the multifunction
display with the off offmessage.
DSR switches off automatically if you drive
faster than 35 km/h. The DSR symbol
appears in the multifunction display with the
off off message. You also hear a warning tone.
Changing the set speed while the vehi-
cle is in motion When DSR is activated, you can change the
set speed to a value between 4 km/h and
18 km/h while the vehicle is in motion.
X
To increase or reduce the set speed in
1 km/h increments: briefly press the
cruise control lever to the pressure point, 214
Off-road driving systemsDriving and parking

up
: for a higher or down ;for a lower
set speed.
On vehicles with a 4-button multifunction
steering wheel, the set value appears in the
left-hand status indicator. On vehicles with
a luxury multifunction steering wheel (12
buttons), the set value appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
X To increase or reduce the set speed by
2 km/h increments: briefly press the
cruise control lever beyond the pressure
point up :for a higher or down ;for a
lower set speed.
On vehicles with a 4-button multifunction
steering wheel, the set value appears in the
left-hand status indicator. On vehicles with
a luxury multifunction steering wheel (12
buttons), the set value appears in the mul-
tifunction display. Off-road drive program
i The off-road drive program is only availa-
ble on vehicles with the Off-Road Engineer-
ing package.
The off-road drive program assists you in driv-
ing off-road. The engine’s performance char-
acteristics and the gearshifting characteris-
tics of the automatic transmission are adap-
ted for this purpose. ABS, ESP ®
and ETS pro-
grams especially adapted to off-road driving
are also activated.
Do not use the off-road drive program on
roads that are snow-covered or icy or if you
have fitted your vehicle with snow chains.
For information about driving off-road, see
(Y page 170). X
To switch on: press the:button.
Indicator lamp ;lights up.
On vehicles with a luxury multifunction steer-
ing wheel (12 buttons): in the multifunction
display you see the off-road symbol: X
To switch off: press button:.
Indicator lamp ;goes out. On vehicles
with a luxury multifunction steering wheel
(12 buttons), off-road symbol also goes off. Towing a trailer
Notes on towing a trailer
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The braking system can 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 a risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Do
not simultaneously depress both the brake
pedal and the accelerator pedal while driving. Towing a trailer
215Driving and parking Z

Coupling up a trailer
G
WARNING
If you uncouple a trailer with an engaged over-
run brake, you could trap your hand between
the vehicle and the trailer drawbar. This poses
a risk of injury.
Do not uncouple a trailer with an engaged
overrun brake.
X Make sure that the transmission is in posi-
tion P.
X Engage the parking brake.
X Position the trailer level behind the vehicle.
X Couple up the trailer.
X Establish the electric connection between
the vehicle and the trailer.
X Check that the trailer lighting system is
working. Uncoupling a trailer
G
WARNING
Vehicles with level control:
If you disconnect the trailer cable, the vehicle
is lowered. This can cause you or others to
become trapped between the vehicle body
and tyres, or underneath the vehicle. This
poses a risk of injury.
Make sure that no-one is in the immediate
vicinity of the wheel arch or underneath the
vehicle when disconnecting the trailer cable.
! Do not disconnect a trailer with an
engaged overrun brake. Otherwise, your
vehicle could be damaged by the rebound-
ing of the overrun brake.
X Make sure that the transmission is in posi-
tion P.
X Engage the parking brake.
X Secure the trailer against rolling away.
X Remove the trailer cable and decouple the
trailer. Removing the ball coupling
X Pull the protective cap off the lock in the
handwheel.
X Use the key to unlock the lock in the hand-
wheel.
X Hold the ball coupling. Pull the handwheel
away from the ball coupling and turn it
clockwise until it engages.
The green area on the ball coupling is
aligned with the red mark on the hand-
wheel.
X Pull the ball coupling downwards to
remove.
X Clean the ball coupling if it is dirty.
Information on cleaning and care of the trailer
tow hitch can be found under (Y page 321). Storing the ball coupling
G
WARNING
Never transport an unsecured ball coupling in
the interior of the vehicle.
Otherwise, vehicle occupants could be
injured by the ball coupling being thrown if
you:
R brake sharply
R change direction suddenly
R have an accident
X Open the stowage well under the luggage
compartment floor.
X Remove the cover from the ball coupling
recess.
X Remove the protective cap from the ball
coupling recess.
X Press the protective cap into the ball cou-
pling recess until it engages.
X Make sure that the protective cap is firmly
in place.
X Store the ball coupling with the key inser-
ted in the ball coupling recess. 220
Towing a trailerDriving and parking

Text field
:shows the selected menu or
submenu as well as display messages.
i You can set the time using the audio sys-
tem or COMAND Online; see the separate
operating instructions.
Vehicles with manual transmission: the
indicators in the lower part of the multifunc-
tion display differ from the display shown
here.
The following messages can appear in the
multifunction display:
Z Gearshift recommendation
(Ypage 155)
¯ Cruise control (Y page 173)
È SPEEDTRONIC (Y page 176)
è Rear window wiper
(Ypage 123)
_ Adaptive Main-beam Assist
(Ypage 116)
À ATTENTION ASSIST
(Ypage 201)
¤ ECO start/stop function
(Ypage 150)
Ä Speed Limit Assist
(Ypage 202)
à Lane Keeping Assist
(Ypage 205) or Active Lane
Keeping Assist (Y page 210)
ë HOLD function (Y page 186)
Ä PRE-SAFE®
Brake (Y page 69)
fDSR DSR DSR (Y
page 213)
120 km/h! 120 km/h! Maximum permissible speed
exceeded (only for certain coun-
tries) Menu overview
Operating the on-board computer
(Y page 228). Depending on the equipment fitted in the
vehicle, you can call up the following menus:
R
Trip Trip menu (Y page 230)
R Navi Navi menu (navigation instructions)
(Y page 232)
R Audio
Audio menu (Y page 233)
R Tel
Tel menu (telephone) (Y page 234)
R Assist.
Assist. menu (assistance)
R Serv.
Serv. menu (Y page 238)
R Settings
Settings menu (Ypage 238)
The Audio
Audio ,Navi
Navi andTel
Tel menus differ slightly
in vehicles with an audio system and in vehi-
cles with COMAND Online. The examples
given in this Owner's Manual apply to vehicles
equipped with COMAND Online. Trip menu
Standard display X
Press and hold the %button on the
steering wheel until the Trip Tripmenu with
trip meter :and total distance
recorder ;is shown.
Trip computer "From start" or "From
reset" Example: "From start" trip computer
:
Distance
; Time 230
Displays and operation (12-button multifunction steering wheel)On-board computer and displays

Activating/deactivating the acoustic
locking confirmation
If you switch on the Acoustic
Acoustic Lock Lockfunction,
an acoustic signal sounds when you lock the
vehicle.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings Settingsmenu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Vehicle
Vehicle submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Acoustic Lock
Acoustic Lock function.
If the Acoustic
Acoustic Lock
Lockfunction is activated,
the & symbol in the multifunction dis-
play lights up red.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Activating/deactivating the radar sensor
system
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings
Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Vehicle Vehicle submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the 9or: button to select
Radar sensor (See Owner's Man.):
Radar sensor (See Owner's Man.): .
You will see the selected setting: Activa‐
Activa‐
ted
ted orDeactivated
Deactivated .
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
i You must deactivate the radar sensor sys-
tem in certain countries and near radio
telescope facilities. For further informa-
tion, see (Y page 375).
When you are close to radio telescope facili-
ties, the radar sensor system will be deacti-
vated automatically.
The following systems are switched off when
the radar sensor system is deactivated:
R DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 178)
R BAS PLUS (Y page 66)
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 69)
R Active Blind Spot Assist (Y page 207)Heating Auxiliary heating departure time
Only vehicles with auxiliary heating
(Y
page 137) have this function.
In the Heating Heating submenu, you can select a
stored departure time or change a departure
time.
The auxiliary heating timer function calcu-
lates the switch-on time according to the out-
side temperature so that the vehicle is pre-
heated by the departure time. When the
departure time is reached, the auxiliary heat-
ing continues to heat for a further five
minutes and then switches off. The auxiliary
heating adopts the THERMATIC or
THERMOTRONIC temperature setting.
You can switch off the auxiliary heating by
using the remote control or the auxiliary heat-
ing button on the centre console. G
WARNING
Exhaust fumes are produced when the auxili-
ary heating is in operation. Inhaling these
exhaust fumes can be poisonous. You should
therefore switch off the auxiliary heating in
confined spaces without an extraction sys-
tem, e.g. a garage. G
WARNING
When operating the auxiliary heating parts of
the vehicle can get very hot. Make sure that
the exhaust system does not under any cir-
cumstances come into contact with easily
ignitable material such as dry grass or fuels.
The material could otherwise ignite and set
the vehicle alight. Choose your parking spot
accordingly.
Operating the auxiliary heating is thus pro-
hibited at filling stations or when your vehicle
is being refuelled. You must therefore switch
off the auxiliary heating at filling stations.
! Operating the auxiliary heating/ventila-
tion draws on the vehicle battery. After you
have heated or ventilated the vehicle a 242
Displays and operation (12-button multifunction steering wheel)On-board computer and displays

Safety systems (4-button multifunction steering wheel)
Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions ABS
ABS
curr. unavail. curr. unavail.
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Pro-
gram), BAS (Brake Assist), PRE-SAFE ®
, hill start assist and ESP ®
trailer stabilisation are temporarily not available.
The adaptive brake lights may also have failed.
In addition, the ä,åand! warning lamps light up in
the instrument cluster.
Possible causes:
R self-diagnosis is not yet complete.
R the on-board voltage may be insufficient.
G WARNING
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 affec-
ted. The braking distance in an emergency braking situation can
increase.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
The danger of skidding and having an accident increases.
X Carefully drive on a suitable stretch of road, making slight steer-
ing movements at a speed above 20 km/h.
If the display message disappears, the functions mentioned
above are available again.
If the display message continues to be displayed:
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. If the display message is shown and the
äwarning lamp flashes
at the same time, the electronic traction system is deactivated.
Otherwise, the brakes on the drive wheels could overheat.
X Let the brakes cool down until the display message disappears
and the äwarning lamp goes out.
The electronic traction system is active again. Display messages
247On-board computer and displays Z

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions ABS
ABS
inoperative
inoperative ABS, ESP
®
, BAS, PRE-SAFE ®
, hill start assist and ESP ®
trailer sta-
bilisation are not available due to a malfunction.
The adaptive brake lights may also have failed.
In addition, the ä,å,!andJ warning lamps light
up in the instrument cluster.
G WARNING
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 affec-
ted. The braking distance in an emergency braking situation can
increase.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
The danger of skidding and having an accident increases.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. EBD and ABS EBD and ABS
inoperative inoperative
EBD (electronic brake force distribution), ABS, ESP
®
, BAS, PRE-
SAFE ®
, the HOLD function, hill start assist and ESP ®
trailer stabi-
lisation are unavailable due to a malfunction.
The adaptive brake lights may also have failed.
In addition, the ä,åand! warning lamps light up in
the instrument cluster and a warning tone sounds.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. The front and rear wheels could therefore
lock if you brake hard, for example.
The steerability and braking characteristics may be severely affec-
ted. The braking distance in an emergency braking situation can
increase.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
The danger of skidding and having an accident increases.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop immediately. J
Release parking Release parking
brake brake You are driving with the parking brake applied. A warning tone also
sounds.
X
Release the parking brake. 248
Display
messagesOn-board computer and displays

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions J
Brake immediately Brake immediately With the Hold function activated, you have either:
R
opened the driver's door and released the seat belt or
R switched off the engine or
R opened the bonnet
A tone may also sound at regular intervals. If you attempt to lock
the vehicle, the tone becomes louder.
You cannot start the engine.
X Paying attention to the traffic situation, immediately depress the
brake pedal firmly and hold until the display message disap-
pears.
X Use the folding wheel chock (Y page 333), from the vehicle tool
kit to secure the vehicle against rolling away.
You can restart the engine. J
Check brake fluid Check brake fluid
level level There is insufficient brake fluid in the brake fluid reservoir.
In addition, the red
Jwarning lamp lights up in the instrument
cluster and a warning tone sounds.
G WARNING
The braking efficiency may be impaired.
There is a risk of an accident.
X Pull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying
attention to road and traffic conditions. Do not continue driving
under any circumstances.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away ( Ypage 164).
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
X Do not top up the brake fluid. This does not correct the error. #
Check brake wear Check brake wear The brake pads/linings have reached their wear limit.
X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. PRE-SAFE PRE-SAFE
inoperative inoperative
G
WARNING
Important functions of PRE-SAFE ®
have failed. All other occupant
safety systems, e.g. airbags, remain available.
This poses an increased risk of injury.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. ü If the symbol appears in the multifunction display, a seat belt
tongue has been inserted into a rear seat belt buckle.
Further information on the status indicator for the rear seat belts
(Y
page 53). Display
messages
249On-board computer and displays Z

Safety systems (12-button multifunction steering wheel)
Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions !÷
currently unavail‐ currently unavail‐
able See Owner's able See Owner's
Manual Manual ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Pro-
gram), BAS (Brake Assist), PRE-SAFE ®
, the HOLD function, hill
start assist and ESP ®
trailer stabilisation are temporarily unavail-
able.
The adaptive brake lights, BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may
also have failed.
In addition, the ÷,åand! warning lamps light up in
the instrument cluster.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
Possible causes:
R self-diagnosis is not yet complete.
R the on-board voltage may be insufficient.
G WARNING
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 affec-
ted. The braking distance in an emergency braking situation can
increase.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
The danger of skidding and having an accident increases.
X Carefully drive on a suitable stretch of road, making slight steer-
ing movements at a speed above 20 km/h.
If the display message disappears, the functions mentioned
above are available again.
If the display message continues to be displayed:
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. ÷
inoperative See inoperative See
Owner's Manual Owner's Manual ESP
®
, BAS, PRE-SAFE ®
, the HOLD function, hill start assist and
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation are unavailable due to a malfunction.
The adaptive brake lights, BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may
also have failed.
In addition, the ÷andå warning lamps light up in the
instrument cluster.
The self-diagnosis function may not be complete, for example.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
G WARNING 252
Display messagesOn-board computer and displays