change time MERCEDES-BENZ GLS 2018 Owners Manual
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Page 3 of 398

Welcome to the world of Mercedes-Benz We urge you to read this Operator's Manual
carefully and familiarize yourself with the vehi-
cle before driving. For your own safety and a
longer vehicle life, follow the instructions and
warning notices in this Operator's Manual.
Ignoring them could result in damage to the
vehicle or personal injury to you or others.
Vehicle damage caused by failure to follow
instructions is not covered by the Mercedes-
Benz Limited Warranty.
The equipment or product designation of your
vehicle may vary depending on: R
Model R
Order R
Country specification R
Availability
Mercedes-Benz therefore reserves the right to
introduce changes in the following areas: R
Design R
Equipment R
Technical features
The equipment in your vehicle may therefore
differ from that shown in the descriptions and
illustrations.
The following are integral components of the
vehicle: R
Digital Operator's Manual R
Printed Operator's Manual R
Maintenance Booklet R
Equipment-dependent supplements
Keep these documents in the vehicle at all
times. If you sell the vehicle, always pass all
documents on to the new owner.
Your Operator's Manual:
Digital form inside the vehicle
The Digital Operator's Manual provides
comprehensive and specifically adapted
information on your vehicle's equipment
and multimedia system. It contains infor-
mative animations, individual language
settings and an intuitive search function.
Booklet inside the vehicle
In addition to this manual and the afore-
mentioned digital media, you also have the
option to obtain a comprehensive printed
version of the Supplement for your multi-
media system from your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. Digital form via the Internet
The Operator's Manual on the Internet pro-
vides easy access to all information
regarding your vehicle and multimedia sys-
tem. It also provides helpful animations,
interesting background information and a
wide array of search options.
Digital form as an App
Using the Mercedes-Benz Guides App, you
can view all the information on your vehicle
and multimedia system via mobile Internet
or download it independently of network
access. Available for smartphones or tab-
lets.
You can also use the Mercedes-Benz Guides
App:
Please note that the Mercedes-Benz Guides App
may not yet be available in your country.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
Mercedes-Benz Canada, Inc.
A Daimler Company
1665845108
É1665845108yËÍ
Page 29 of 398

Protecting the environment
General notes
H Environmental note
Daimler's declared policy is one of compre-
hensive environmental protection.
The objectives are for the natural resources
that form the basis of our existence on this
planet to be used sparingly and in a manner
that takes the requirements of both nature
and humanity into account.
You too can help to protect the environment
by operating your vehicle in an environmen-
tally responsible manner.
Fuel consumption and the rate of engine,
transmission, brake and tire wear are affected
by these factors: R
operating conditions of your vehicle R
your personal driving style
You can influence both factors. You should
bear the following in mind:
Operating conditions: R
avoid short trips as these increase fuel con-
sumption. R
always make sure that the tire pressures
are correct. R
do not carry any unnecessary weight. R
remove roof racks once you no longer need
them. R
a regularly serviced vehicle will contribute
to environmental protection. You should
therefore adhere to the service intervals. R
always have service work carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Personal driving style: R
do not depress the accelerator pedal when
starting the engine. R
do not warm up the engine when the vehicle
is stationary. R
drive carefully and maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front. R
avoid frequent, sudden acceleration and
braking. R
change gear in good time and use each gear
only up to
Page 31 of 398

death or serious bodily injury if the vehicle is
driven, that defect or malfunction has been
subject to repair two or more times, and you
have directly notified Mercedes-Benz USA,
LLC in writing of the need for its repair.
(2) the same substantial defect or malfunction
of a less serious nature than category (1)
has been subject to repair four or more
times and you have directly notified
Mercedes-Benz in writing of the need for its
repair.
(3) the vehicle is out of service by reason of
repair of the same or different substantial
defects or malfunctions for a cumulative
total of more than 30 calendar days.
Please send your written notice to:
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
Customer Assistance Center
One Mercedes Drive
Montvale, NJ 07645-0350
Maintenance USA only:
Always have the Service and Warranty Booklet
with you when you bring the vehicle to an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. The service
advisor will record every service for you in the
Service and Warranty Booklet.
Canada only:
Have every service in a qualified specialist work-
shop confirmed in the service report.
Roadside Assistance The Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance Pro-
gram offers technical help in the event of a
breakdown. Calls to the toll-free Roadside Assis-
tance Hotline are answered by our agents 24
hours a day, 365 days a year.
1-800 FOR-MERCEDES (1-800-367-6372)
(USA)
1-800-387-0100 (Canada)
For additional information, refer to the
Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance Program
brochure (USA) or the "Roadside Assistance"
section in the Service and Warranty Booklet
(Canada). You will find both in the vehicle docu-
ment wallet. Change of address or change of own-
ership In the event of a change of address, please send
us the "Notification of Address Change" in the
Service and Warranty Booklet or simply call the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Center
(USA) at the hotline number
1-800 FOR-MERCEDES (1-800-367-6372) or
Customer Service Center (Canada) at
1-800-387-0100. This will assist us in contact-
ing you in a timely manner should the need arise.
If you sell your Mercedes, please leave all liter-
ature in the vehicle so that it is available to the
next owner.
If you have purchased a used car, please send us
the "Notification of Used Car Purchase" in the
Service and Warranty Booklet or simply call the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Center
(USA) at the hotline number
1-800 FOR-MERCEDES (1-800-367-6372) or
Customer Service (Canada) at 1-800-387-0100.
Vehicle operation outside the USA
and Canada When you are abroad with your vehicle, observe
the following points: R
Service facilities or replacement parts may
not be readily available. R
Lead-free fuel for vehicles with a catalytic
converter may not be available. Leaded fuel
can cause damage to the catalytic converter. R
The fuel may have a considerably lower
octane number. Unsuitable fuel can cause
engine damage.
Some Mercedes-Benz models are available for
delivery in Europe through our European Deliv-
ery Program. For details, consult an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or write to one of the
following addresses.
In the USA
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
European Delivery Department
One Mercedes Drive
Montvale, NJ 07645-0350
In Canada
Mercedes-Benz Canada, Inc.
European Delivery Department
98 Vanderhoof Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M4G 4C9Service and vehicle operation 29
Introduction Z
Page 35 of 398

to detect and rectify malfunctions and to opti-
mize vehicle functions. Most of these data are
volatile and processed only in the vehicle itself.
Only a small part of the data is stored in event or
malfunction memories.
When you use services, the technical data from
the vehicle can be read out by service network
employees or third parties. Services can include
repair services, maintenance processes, war-
ranty cases and quality assurance measures.
The data is read out via the legally prescribed
diagnostics connection in the vehicle. The rele-
vant offices in the service network or third par-
ties collect, process and use the data. These
data document the vehicle's technical states,
are used to help in finding malfunctions and
improving quality and are sent to the manufac-
turer where necessary. In addition, the manu-
facturer is subject to product liability. The man-
ufacturer needs technical data from vehicles for
this purpose.
Malfunction memories in the vehicle can be
reset by a service center during repair or service
work.
You can incorporate data into the vehicle's com-
fort and infotainment functions yourself as part
of the s elected equipment.
T
hese include, for example: R
multimedia data such as music, films or pho-
tos for playback in an integrated multimedia
system R
address book data for use in conjunction with
an integrated hands-free system or an inte-
grated navigation system R
navigation destinations that have been
entered R
data about using Internet services
These data can be saved locally in the vehicle or
are located on a device that you have connected
to the vehicle. If this data is saved in the vehicle,
you can delete it at any time. These data are sent
to third parties only at your request, particularly
when you use online services in accordance with
the settings that you have selected.
You can save and change comfort settings/
customizations in the vehicle at any time.
Depending on the piece of equipment in ques-
tion, these can include, for example: R
seat and steering wheel position settings R
suspension and climate control settings R
custom settings such as interior lighting If your vehicle is equipped appropriately, you
can connect your smartphone or another mobile
end device to the vehicle. You can control this by
means of th e control elements integrated in the
ve
hicle. The smartphone's picture and sound
can be output via the multimedia system. Spe-
cific items of information are also sent to your
smartphone.
Depending on the type of integration, this can
include: R
general vehicle information R
position data
This allows the use of selected smartphone
apps, such as navigation or music player apps.
There is no additional interaction between the
smartphone and the vehicle, particularly active
access to vehicle data. The type of additional
data processing is determined by the provider of
the app being used. Whether you can configure
settings for it and, if so, which ones, depends on
the app and your smartphone's operating sys-
tem.
Service provider
Wireless network connection If your vehicle has a wireless network connec-
tion, data can be exchanged between your vehi-
cle and other systems. The wireless network
connection is made possible by the vehicle's
own transmitter and receiver or by mobile devi-
ces that you have brought into the vehicle (e.g.
smartphones). Online functions can be used via
this wireless network connection. These include
online services and applications/Apps provided
by the manufacturer or other providers.
Services provided by the manufacturer In the case of the manufacturer's online serv-
ices, the manufacturer describes the functions
in a suitable place and the associated informa-
tion subject to data protection legislation. Per-
sonal data can be used in order to provide online
services. The data exchange for this takes place
via a secure connection, e.g. with the manufac-
turer's IT systems intended for the purpose. Col-
lecting, processing and using personal data
beyond the provision of services is permitted
only on the basis of a statutory permit or decla-
ration of consent.Dat a stored in the vehicle 33
Introduction Z
Page 36 of 398

You can usually activate and deactivate the serv-
ices and functions (some of which are subject to
charge). In many cases, this also applies to the
vehicle's entire data connection. However, this
does not apply in particular to legally prescribed
functions and services such as the "eCall" emer-
gency call system.
Services from third parties If it is possible to use online services from other
providers, these services are the responsibility
of the provider in question and subject to that
provider's data protection conditions and terms
of use. The manufacturer has no influence over
the content exchanged here.
For this reason, please ask the service provider
for information about the type, extent and pur-
pose of the collection and use of personal data
when services are provided by third parties.
COMAND/mbrace If the vehicle is equipped with COMAND or
mbrace, additional data about the vehicle's
operation, the use of the vehicle in certain sit-
uations, and the location of the vehicle may be
compiled through COMAND or the mbrace sys-
tem.
For additional information please refer to the
COMAND User Manual or the Digital Operator's
Manual and/or the mbrace Terms and Condi-
tions.
Event data recorders This vehicle is equipped with an event data
recorder (EDR). This vehicle is equipped with an
event data recorder (EDR). The main purpose of
an EDR is to record, in certain crash or near
crash-like situations, such as an air bag deploy-
ment or hitting a road obstacle, data that will
assist in understanding how a vehicle's systems
performed. The EDR is designed to record data
relating to vehicle dynamics and safety systems
for a short period of time, typically 30 seconds
or less. The EDR in this vehicle is designed to record
such data as: R
How various systems in your vehicle were
operating R
Whether or not the driver and passenger
safety belts were buckled/fastened R
How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the
accelerator and/or brake pedal and R
How fast the vehicle was traveling
These data can help provide a better under-
standing of the circumstances in which crashes
and injuries occur. NOTE: EDR data are recor-
ded by your vehicle only if a non-trivial crash
situation occurs; no data are recorded by the
EDR under normal driving conditions and no
personal data (e.g. name, gender, age and crash
location) are recorded. However, other parties,
such as law enforcement could combine the
EDR data with the type of personally identifying
data routinely acquired during a crash investi-
gation.
Access to the vehicle and/or the EDR is needed
to read data that is recorded by an EDR, and
special equipment is required. In addition to the
vehicle manufacturer, other parties that have
the special equipment, such as law enforce-
ment, can read the information by accessing the
vehicle or t he
EDR.
EDR data may be used in civil and criminal mat-
ters as a tool in accident reconstruction, acci-
dent claims and vehicle safety. Since the Crash
Data Retrieval CDR tool that is used to extract
data from the EDR is commercially available,
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC ("MBUSA") expressly
disclaims any and all liability arising from the
extraction of this information by unauthorized
Mercedes-Benz personnel.
MBUSA will not share EDR data with others
without the consent of the vehicle owners or, if
the vehicle is leased, without the consent of the
lessee. Exceptions to this representation
include responses to subpoenas by law enforce-
ment; by federal, state or local government; in
connection with or arising out of litigation involv-
ing MBUSA or its subsidiaries and affiliates; or,
as required by law.
Warning: The EDR is a component of the
Restraint System Module. Tampering with, alter-
ing, modifying or removing the EDR component
may result in a malfunction of the Restraint Sys-
tem Module and other systems.
State laws or regulations regarding EDRs that
conflict with federal regulation are pre-empted.34
Data stored in the vehicle
Introduction
Page 81 of 398

KEYLESS- GO start function
Gene ra l notesBear in min d that th e engin e can be started by
any of th e vehicl e occupant s if there is a Smart -
Key in th e vehicl e ( Y
page 142).
Changing the settings of the locking
system You can chang e th e setting s of th e locking sys-
tem. This mean s that only th e driver's door and
th e fuel filler flap are unlocke d when th e vehicl e
is unlocked. This is useful if you frequentl y travel
alone. X
To change th e setting: press and hold down
th e 6 and 7 buttons simultaneousl y
for about six seconds until th e battery indica-
to r lamp flashes twice ( Y
page 80) .
If th e setting of th e locking system is changed
within th e signal range of th e vehicle, pressing
th e 7 or 6 button:R
locks or R
unlocks th e vehicl e
The SmartKey no w function s as follows :X
To unlock: press th e 6 butto n once .X
To unlock centrally: press th e 6 butto n
twice .X
To lock centrally: press th e 7 button.
The KEYLESS-GO function is changed as fol -
lows : X
To unlock th e driver's door : touch th e inner
surfac e of th e door handle on th e driver's
door .X
To unlock centrally: touch th e inner surfac e
of th e door handle on th e front-passenger
door or th e rear door .X
To lock centrally: touch th e outer sensor
surfac e on on e of th e door handles
( Y
page 78) .X
To restor e th e factory settings: press and
hold down th e 6 and 7 buttons s imul-
ta
neously for approximately six seconds until
th e battery chec k lamp flashes twice
( Y
page 80) . Mechanical key
Gene ra l notesIf th e vehicl e can no longer be locke d or
unlocke d wit h th e SmartKey or wit h KEYLESS -
GO, use th e mechanical key.
If you use th e mechanical ke y to unloc k and
open th e driver's door , th e anti-thef t alarm sys-
te m will be triggered . Switc h off th e alarm
( Y
page 75) .
If you unloc k th e vehicl e usin g th e mechanical
key, th e fuel filler flap will no t be unlocke d auto -
matically. X
To unlock th e fuel filler flap: insert th e
SmartKey int o th e ignition lock.
Removing the me chanical key
X
Push release catch C in th e direction of th e
arrow and at th e sam e time remove mechan -
ical ke y D from th e SmartKey.
Fo r further information about :R
Unlocking th e driver's door ( Y
page 84)R
Unlocking th e cargo compartmen t
( Y
page 88 ) R
Locking th e vehicl e ( Y
page 84)
Inserting the me chanical key X
Push mechanical ke y D completely int o th e
SmartKey until it engage s and release
catch C is bac k in it s basic position .SmartKey 79
Opening and closing Z
Page 120 of 398

Highway mode Highway mode increases the range of the beam.
Active: if you are driving at a speed above
110 km/h and do not make any large steering
movements for at least 1,000 m or if you are
driving at a speed above 130 km/h.
Not active: if you are driving at speeds below
80 km/h following activation.
Extended range fog lamps The extended range fog lamps reduce the glare
experienced by the driver and improve the illu-
mination of the edge of the road.
Active: if you are driving at speeds below
40 mph (70 km/h) and you switch on the rear
fog lamp.
Not active: if, following activation, you are driv-
ing at speeds above 60 mph (100 km/h) or if you
switch off the rear fog lamp
Off-road lights The off-road lights facilitate the early recogni-
tion of objects/obstacles when driving off-road
thanks to a symmetrical, wider and brighter dis-
tribution of light from the low-beam headlamps.
Active: when driving at speeds no faster than
30 mph (50 km/h) and the off-road program
selector wheel is in position 1 or 2.
Not active: when driving at speeds above
30 mph (50 km/h).
When the off-road lights are switched on, the
cornering light function is permanently activa-
ted, the active light function is deactivated and
the headlamp range control is set to static
mode.
Adaptive Highbeam Assist
General notes You can use this function to set the headlamps
to change between low beam and high beam
automatically. The system recognizes vehicles
with their lights on, either approaching from the
opposite direction or traveling in front of your
vehicle, and consequently switches the head-
lamps from high beam to low beam.
The system automatically adapts the low-beam
headlamp range depending on the distance to
the other vehicle. Once the system no longer detects any other vehicles, it reactivates the
high-beam headlamps.
The system's optical sensor is located behind
the windshield near the overhead control panel.
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Adaptive Highbeam Assist does not recognize
road users: R
who have no lights, e.g. pedestrians R
who have poor lighting, e.g. cyclists R
whose lighting is blocked, e.g. by a barrier
On very rare occasions, Adaptive Highbeam
Assist may fail to recognize other road users
that have lights, or may recognize them too
late. In this, or in similar situations, the auto-
matic high-beam headlamps will not be deac-
tivated or will be activated regardless. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always carefully observe the traffic conditions
and switch off the high-beam headlamps in
good time.
Adaptive Highbeam Assist cannot take into
account road, weather or traffic conditions.
Adaptive Highbeam Assist is only an aid. You are
responsible for adjusting the vehicle's lighting
to the prevailing light, visibility and traffic con-
ditions.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can be
impaired if: R
poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
snow R
dirt on the sensors or the sensors are
obscured
Switching Adaptive Highbeam Assist
on/off X
To switch on: turn the light switch to X .X
Press the combination switch beyond the
pressure point in the direction of arrow C .
The
Page 141 of 398

Notes on breaking-in a new vehicle
Important safety notes The sensor system of some driving and driving
safety systems adjusts automatically while a
certain distance is being driven after the vehicle
has been delivered or after repairs. Full system
effectiveness is not reached until the end of this
teach-in procedure.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after several
hundred kilometers of driving. Compensate for
this by applying greater force to the brake pedal.
The first 1000 miles (1500 km) The more you look after the engine when it is
new, the more satisfied you will be with its per-
formance in the future. R
You should therefore drive at varying vehicle
and engine speeds for the first 1000 miles
(1500 km). R
Avoid heavy loads, e.g. driving at full throttle,
during this period. R
Change gear in good time, before the tach-
ometer needle is
Page 144 of 398

ignite if in contact with the exhaust system or
parts of the engine that heat up. There is a risk
of fire.
Carry out regular checks to make sure that
there are no flammable foreign materials in
the engine compartment or in the exhaust
system.
General notes Vehicles with a gasoline engine: the catalytic
converter is preheated for up to 30 seconds
after a cold start. The sound of the engine may
change during this time.
Automatic transmission X
Shift the transmission to position ]
( Y
page 148).
The transmission position indicator on the
multifunction display shows ]
( Y
page 149).
i You can start the engine in transmission
position ] and \\ .
Starting procedure with the SmartKey X
To start a diesel engine: turn the SmartKey
to position H in the ignition lock
( Y
page 140).
The \( preglow indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up. X
Turn the SmartKey to position I in the igni-
tion lock ( Y
page 140) and release it as soon
as the engine is running.
i Vehicles with a diesel engine: you can
start the engine without preglow if the engine
is warm.
Using KEYLESS-GO to start the engine The Start/Stop button can be used to start the
vehicle without inserting the SmartKey into the
ignition lock. The Start/Stop button must be
inserted in the ignition lock and the SmartKey
must be in the vehicle. This mode for starting the
engine operates independently of the ECO
start/stop automatic engine start function. X
Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed. X
Press the Start/Stop button once
( Y
page 140).
Vehicles with a gasoline engine: the engine
starts.
Vehicles with a diesel engine: preglow is
activated and the engine starts.
Starting procedure via smartphone Observe the important safety notes on starting
the engine ( Y
page 141).
You can also start your engine via your smart-
phone from outside the vehicle. In this case, the
previously selected climate control setting is
activated. In this way you can cool or heat the
interior of the vehicle before starting the jour-
ney.
Only start the engine via your smartphone if it is
safe to start and run the engine where your vehi-
cle is parked.
Observe the legal stipulations in the area where
your vehicle is parked. Engine start via smart-
phone may be limited to certain countries or
regions.
You can execute a maximum of two consecutive
starting attempts via your smartphone. If you
insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock, you
can carry out two more starting attempts.
Once you have started the engine, you can
switch the engine off via your smartphone at any
time.
You can only start the engine via your smart-
phone if: R
the SmartKey is in the ignition lock R
park position ] is selectedR
the accelerator pedal is not depressed R
the anti-theft alarm system is not activated R
the panic alarm is not activated R
the hazard warning lamps are switched off R
the hood is closed R
the doors are closed and locked R
the windows and sliding sunroof are closed
Also make sure that: R
the fuel tank is sufficiently filled R
the starter battery is sufficiently charged142
Driving
Driving and parking
Page 149 of 398

DYNAMIC SELECT controller Use th e DYNAMI C SELECT controller to chang e
th e drive program. Dependin g on th e drive pro -
gram selecte d th e followin g vehicle character-
istic s will change: R
th e drive (engin e and transmissio n manage-
ment) R
th e transmissio nR
th e suspensio nR
th e steerin gR
th e availabilit y of th e EC O start/sto p function
Each time you start th e engin e wit h th e Smart -
Key or th e Start/Sto p button, th e Comfor t drive
program is activated. Fo r further information
about startin g th e engine, see ( Y
page 141).
The Comfor t drive program is recommended in
city traffic and stop/start traffic situations.
X
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles) : turn DYNAMI C SELECT controller C as
man y times as necessary until th e desire d
drive program is selected.
The selecte d drive program appears in th e
multifunction display. Afte r fiv e seconds th e
display goe s out .
In addition , th e curren t drive program setting s
are displaye d in th e multimedia syste m dis -
play.
Drive program s available (al l vehicles
excep t Mercedes-AMG vehicles):
Individua l
Individual setting s
Spor t
Sporty drivin g characteris -
tics
Comfor t
Comfortable and economi-
cal drivin g characteristics Slipper y
Optimal drivin g characteris -
tics on slipper y or snow-
covered roads
Off-road
Optimal drivin g characteris -
tics fo r easily negotiable off-
road terrain
Off-road Plu s
(vehicles wit h
Off-Road Engi-
neering pack-
age) Optimal drivin g characteris -
tics fo r rough terrain
Further information on :R
th e Individua l , Spor t , Comfor t and Slipper y
drive programs ( Y
page 151)R
th e Off-road drive program (vehicles without
Off-Road Engineerin g package)
( Y
page 219) R
th e Off-road and Off-road Plu s drive pro -
grams (vehicles wit h Off-Road Engineerin g
package) ( Y
page 220)
X
Mercedes-AMG vehicles : turn DYNAMI C
SELECT controller C as man y times as nec-
essary until th e desire d drive program is
selected.
The selecte d drive program appears in th e
multifunction display. Afte r fiv e seconds th e
display goe s out .
In addition , th e curren t drive program setting s
are displaye d in th e multimedia system dis -
play.
Drive program s available (Mercedes-AMG
vehicles):
Individua l
Individual setting s
Comfor t
Comfortable and economi-
cal drivin g characteristicsDYNAMIC SELECT controller 14 7
Driving an d parking Z