warning MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV 2016 Owners Manual

Until the ball coupling engages in a securely
locked position under the bumper:
R indicator lamp ;flashes
R the multifunction display shows the display
message Trailer coupling extend‐
Trailer coupling extend‐
ing...
ing...
The ball coupling swivels back into the out-of-
use position when:
R you drive off before the Trailer
Trailer coupling
coupling
extending...
extending... display message has disap-
peared from the multifunction display
R the ball coupling encounters an obstacle in
the swivel range
Using the switch in the tailgate Swivelling out:
X Make sure that the vehicle is stationary.
X Open the tailgate.
X Pull switch :briefly.
After a short time, the ball coupling swivels
out from under the rear bumper. It can take up to seven seconds before the ball coupling
visibly swivels out.
X Remove the protective cap from the ball cou-
pling and store it in a safe place.
Until the ball coupling vertically engages in a
securely locked position:
R indicator lamp ;flashes
R the multifunction display shows the display
message Trailer coupling extend‐
Trailer coupling extend‐
ing... ing... The ball coupling swivels back into the out-of-
use position when:
R you drive off before the Trailer
Trailercoupling
coupling
extending...
extending... display message has disap-
peared from the multifunction display
R the ball coupling encounters an obstacle in
the swivel range
Folding in:
X Make sure that the vehicle is stationary and
the trailer cables are disconnected.
X Place the protective cap on the ball coupling.
X Open the tailgate.
X Pull switch :briefly.
After a short time, the ball coupling swivels in under the rear bumper. It can take up to sevenseconds before the ball coupling visibly swiv-
els in.
Until the ball coupling engages in a securely
locked position under the bumper:
R indicator lamp ;flashes
R the multifunction display shows the display
message Trailer coupling extend‐ Trailer coupling extend‐
ing...
ing...
The ball coupling swivels back into the out-of-
use position when:
R you drive off before the Trailer
Trailercoupling
coupling
extending...
extending... display message has disap-
peared from the multifunction display
R the ball coupling encounters an obstacle in
the swivel range Coupling up a trailer
Important safety notes 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. 236
Towing a trailerDriving and parking

Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package
!
Before beginning the journey, make sure
that the trailer support wheel is completely
raised. Otherwise, the trailer or the vehicle
could be damaged by the lowered trailer sup- port wheel during the journey.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Apply the electric parking brake.
X Start the engine.
X Vehicles with the Off-Road Engineering
package:
set the vehicle level to normal level
(Y page 192).
X Vehicles without the Off-Road Engineer-
ing package: select theComfortdrive pro-
gram using the DYNAMIC SELECT controller
(Y page 197).
X Switch off the engine.
X Close the doors and tailgate.
X Position the trailer horizontally behind the
vehicle.
X Couple up the trailer.
X Establish the electrical connection between
the vehicle and the trailer.
X Check that the trailer lighting system is work-
ing.
X Push the combination switch upwards and
downwards and check whether the corre-
sponding turn signal indicator on the trailer is
flashing.
A connected trailer is only detected when the
electrical connection is established correctly
and when the lighting system is working prop-
erly. The function of other systems also depends on this, for example:
R ESP ®
R Parking Assist PARKTRONIC
R Parking Pilot
R Active Blind Spot Assist
R Active Lane Keeping Assist
i Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package:
if
you couple up a trailer, the vehicle initially
remains at the selected level of the drive pro- gram set. Observe the following when cou-
pling up a trailer:
R If the normal level was not selected previ-
ously, the vehicle automatically adopts the normal level starting from a speed of 30 km/h. Even at higher speeds, it does not
drop below the normal level.
R Vehicle levels below the normal level are
not available.
R The raised level is available up to a speed of
30 km/h.
R This also applies when using accessories
that are plugged into the socket of the
trailer tow hitch (e.g. a bicycle rack).
R Before driving with a trailer, please observe
the information on the trailer support
wheel. Uncoupling a trailer
Important safety notes 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. 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 rebounding of the overrun
brake.
! Remove the adapter cable before folding in
the ball coupling. You could otherwise dam-
age the rear bumper and the adapter cable.
Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package X
Shift the transmission to position P.
X Apply the electric parking brake. Towing a trailer
237Driving and parking Z

Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Operating the integrated information systems and communications equipment in the vehicle
while driving will distract you from traffic con-
ditions. You could then lose control of the
vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Only operate these devices if road traffic con-
ditions permit. If you are unsure about the
surrounding conditions, pull over to a safe
location and make entries only while the vehi-
cle is stationary.
You must observe the legal requirements for the country in which you are currently driving whenoperating the on-board computer. G
WARNING
If the instrument cluster has failed or mal-
functioned, you may not recognise function
restrictions relevant to safety. The operating
safety of your vehicle may be impaired. There is a risk of an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have the vehicle checked
at a qualified specialist workshop immedi-
ately.
If the operating safety of your vehicle is
impaired, park the vehicle safely as soon as pos-
sible. Contact a qualified specialist workshop.
The on-board computer shows only messages or warnings from certain systems on the multi-
function display. You should therefore make
sure your vehicle is operating safely at all times.
For an overview, see the instrument cluster illus-
tration (Y page 35). Displays and operation
Instrument cluster lighting
The lighting in the instrument cluster, in the dis-
plays and the controls in the vehicle interior can be adjusted using the brightness control knob.
The brightness control knob is located on the
bottom left of the instrument cluster
(Y page 35). X
Turn the brightness control knob clockwise or
anti-clockwise.
If you turn the light switch to Ã,Tor
L, the brightness is dependent upon the
brightness of the ambient light.
i The light sensor in the instrument cluster
automatically controls the brightness of the
multifunction display.
In daylight, the displays in the instrument
cluster are not illuminated. Speedometer with segments
The segments in the speedometer indicate
which speed range is available.
R Cruise control activated (Y page 180):
The segments light up from the stored speed to the maximum speed.
R Variable speed limiter is activated
(Y page 182):
The segments light up from the start of the
scale to the selected speed limitation.
R Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is activated
(Y page 184):
One or two segments in the stored speed
range light up.
R Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects a vehicle in
front moving more slowly than the stored
speed:
The segments between the speed of the vehi- cle in front and the stored speed light up. Rev counter
! Do not drive in the overrevving range. Doing
so will damage the engine.
The red band in the rev counter indicates the
engine's overrevving range.
The fuel supply is interrupted to protect the
engine when the red band is reached. Outside temperature display
You should pay special attention to road condi-
tions when temperatures are around freezing
point. Displays and operation
241On-board computer and displays Z

Bear in mind that the outside temperature dis-
play indicates the measured air temperature
and not the road surface temperature.
The outside temperature display is in the multi-
function display (Y page 243).
A change in the outside temperature is shown in
the multifunction display after a delay. Coolant temperature display
G
WARNING
If you open the bonnet while the engine is
overheating or while there is a fire in the
engine compartment, you could come into
contact with hot gases or other leaking ser-
vice products. There is a danger of injury.
Allow an overheating engine to cool down
before opening the bonnet. If there is a fire in the engine compartment, leave the bonnet
closed and notify the fire brigade.
The coolant temperature gauge is in the instru-
ment cluster on the right-hand side (Y page 35).
Under normal operating conditions and with the specified coolant level, the coolant temperature
may rise to 120 †.
At high outside temperatures and when driving
in mountainous terrain, the coolant temperature may rise to the end of the scale. Operating the on-board computer
Overview :
Multifunction display
; Right control panel
= Left control panel
X To activate the on-board computer: turn
the key to position 1in the ignition lock.
You can control the multifunction display and
the settings in the on-board computer using the buttons on the multifunction steering wheel.
You can find further information on LINGUA-
TRONIC in the separate operating instructions in vehicles with a COMAND Online multimedia sys-
tem.
You can find further information on voice-con-
trolled navigation in the manufacturer's operat-
ing instructions in vehicles with an Audio 20
multimedia system. 242
Displays and operationOn-board computer and displays

TV operation
The preset position is also displayed only if the
channel :has been stored. Store TV channels
in the multimedia system.
X Switch on the multimedia system and select
TV; see the separate operating instructions.
X Press the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Audio
Audio menu.
X To select a stored channel: briefly press the
9 or: button.
X To select a channel from the channel list:
press and briefly hold the 9or: but-
ton.
i Depending on the digital TV broadcaster,
radio stations can also be received. The mul-
tifunction display shows TV (RADIO)
TV (RADIO). Telephone menu
Introduction G
WARNING
Operating the integrated information systems and communications equipment in the vehicle
while driving will distract you from traffic con-
ditions. You could then lose control of the
vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Only operate these devices if road traffic con-
ditions permit. If you are unsure about the
surrounding conditions, pull over to a safe
location and make entries only while the vehi-
cle is stationary.
When telephoning, you must observe the legal
requirements for the country in which you are
currently driving.
X Switch on the mobile phone (see the manu-
facturer's operating instructions).
X Switch on the multimedia system (see sepa-
rate operating instructions). X
Insert the mobile phone into the bracket
(Y page 325).
or X Establish a Bluetooth ®
connection to the mul-
timedia system; see the separate operating
instructions.
X Press the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Tel
Tel menu.
You will see one of the following display mes-
sages in the multifunction display:
R Telephone ready Telephone ready or the name of the net-
work provider: the mobile phone has found a network and is ready to receive.
R Telephone
Telephone No
No service
service: there is no network
available or the mobile phone is searching for
a network.
i You can obtain further information about
suitable mobile phones and connecting
mobile phones via Bluetooth ®
:
R at any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre
R on the Internet at http://www.mercedes-
benz.com/connect
Accepting a call If someone calls you when you are in the
Tel Tel
menu, a display message appears in the multi-
function display.
You can accept a call at any time irrespective of
the selected menu.
X Press the 6button on the steering wheel
to accept an incoming call.
Rejecting or ending a call You can end or reject a call even if you are not in
the Tel Tel menu.
X Press the ~button on the steering wheel
to reject or end an incoming call.
Selecting an entry from the telephone
book X
Press the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Tel
Tel menu.
X Press the 9,:ora button to
switch to the phone book.
X Authorise access to the phone book on the
phone. 248
Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays

Activating/deactivating Lane Keeping
Assist X
Press the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Assist.
Assist. menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
Lane Keeping Assist
Lane Keeping Assist .
X Press ato confirm.
The current selection appears.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to set Off
Off ,
Standard
Standard orAdaptive
Adaptive.
When Lane Keeping Assist or Active Lane
Keeping Assist is activated, the multifunction display shows the lane markings as bright
lines in the assistance graphic.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Further information about Lane Keeping Assist
(Y page 221).
Further information about Active Lane Keeping
Assist (Y page 224). Service menu
Depending on the equipment fitted in the vehi-
cle, you have the following options in the Ser‐
Ser‐
vice
vice menu:
R Calling up display messages in the message
memory (Y page 258)
R Restarting the tyre pressure loss warning sys-
tem (Y page 366) or checking the tyre pres-
sure electronically (Y page 367)
R Calling up the service due date
(Y page 337) Settings menu
Introduction Depending on the equipment fitted in the vehi-
cle, In the Settings
Settings menu you have the follow-
ing options:
R Changing the instrument cluster settings
(Y page 251)
R Changing the light settings (Y page 252)
R Changing the vehicle settings (Y page 252)
R Changing the heating settings (Y page 253)R
Changing the convenience settings
(Y page 254)
R Restoring the factory settings (Y page 255)
Instrument cluster submenu Selecting the unit of measurement for dis-
tance
The Display unit Speed-/odometer: Display unit Speed-/odometer: func-
tion allows you to choose whether certain dis-
plays appear in kilometres or miles in the mul-
tifunction display.
X Press the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Settings Settingsmenu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Instrument cluster
Instrument cluster submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Display unit Speed-/odometer
Display unit Speed-/odometer function.
You will see the selected setting: km
kmormiles
miles.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
The selected unit of measurement for distance
applies to the following:
R Digital speedometer in the Trip
Trip menu
R Total distance recorder and the trip meter
R Trip computer
R Current consumption and the range
R Navigation instructions in the Navi
Navi menu
R Cruise control
R Speed limiter
R Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
R ASSYST PLUS service interval display
Selecting permanent display
United Kingdom: this function is unavailable.
The Permanent display:
Permanent display: function allows you
to choose whether the multifunction display
always shows the outside temperature or the
speed.
The speed display is inverse to your speedome- ter.
X Press the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Settings Settingsmenu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Instrument cluster Instrument cluster submenu.
X Confirm by pressing aon the steering
wheel. Menus and sub
menus
251On-board computer and displays Z

X
Press :or9 to select the Limit Limit
speed (winter tyres): speed (winter tyres): function.
You will see the current setting.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to adjust the
permanent speed limiter in increments of ten
(160 km/h 160 km/h to240 km/h
240 km/h). The Off
Off setting
switches the permanent speed limiter off.
X Press the abutton to store the entry.
Further information on the permanent speed
limiter (Y page 184).
Activating/deactivating the automatic
locking feature
If you activate the Automatic door locks
Automatic door locks
function, the vehicle is centrally locked above a speed of approximately 15 km/h.
X Press the =or; button on the steering
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 :or9 button to select the
Automatic door locks Automatic door locks function.
When the Automatic
Automatic door
doorlocks
locks function is
activated, the vehicle doors are displayed in
orange in the multifunction display.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
For further information on the automatic locking
feature; see (Y page 88).
Activating/deactivating the acoustic
locking confirmation
If you switch on the Acoustic
Acoustic Lock Lockfunction, an
acoustic signal sounds when you lock the vehi-
cle.
X Press the =or; button on the steering
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 Lock
Acoustic Lock function is activated,
the & symbol in the multifunction display
lights up orange.
X Press the abutton to save the setting. Heating submenu Auxiliary heating departure time
G
DANGER
If the exhaust pipe is blocked or sufficient
ventilation is not possible, toxic exhaust
fumes can enter the vehicle, especially car-
bon monoxide. This is the case, e.g. in
enclosed spaces, or if the vehicle is stuck in
snow. There is a risk of fatal injuries.
You should switch off the auxiliary heating in
enclosed spaces which do not have an extrac- tion system, e.g. a garage. If the vehicle is
stuck in snow and you must leave the auxiliary
heating running, keep the exhaust pipe and
the area around the vehicle clear of snow. To guarantee a sufficient supply of fresh air, open
a window on the side of the vehicle away from the wind. G
WARNING
When the auxiliary heating is switched on,
parts of the vehicle can become very hot.
Flammable materials such as leaves, grass or twigs may ignite if they come into contact
with:
R hot parts of the exhaust system
R the exhaust gas itself
There is a risk of fire.
When the auxiliary heating is switched on,
make sure that:
R no flammable materials come into contact
with hot vehicle components
R the exhaust gas can escape from the
exhaust pipe unhindered
R the exhaust gas does not come into contact
with flammable materials.
! Operating the auxiliary heating/ventilation
draws on the vehicle battery. After you have
heated or ventilated the vehicle a maximum of two times, drive for a longer distance.
Only vehicles with auxiliary heating have this
function. Menus and submenus
253On-board computer and displays Z

In the
Heating
Heating submenu, you can select a
stored departure time or change a departure
time.
The auxiliary heating timer function calculates
the switch-on time according to the outside
temperature so that the vehicle is preheated by the departure time. When the departure time isreached, the auxiliary heating 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 heating but-
ton on the centre console.
i Switch the auxiliary heating on regularly
once a month for about ten minutes.
Further information on auxiliary heating
(Y page 140).
Selecting the departure time or deactivat- ing a selected departure time
X Press the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Settings
Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Heating
Heating submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
You will see the selected setting.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select one
of the three departure times or Timer
Timer off off(no
timer active).
X Press ato confirm.
If a departure time is selected, the yellow
indicator lamp lights up on the auxiliary heat-
ing button.
Changing the departure time
X Press the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Settings
Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Heating
Heating submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
You will see the selected setting.
X Press the :or9 button to select A A,B
B
or Change C
Change C.
X Press ato confirm.
You can now change the departure time.
X Press the =or; button to select the
display to be changed: hours, minutes. X
Press the :or9 button to set the
selected display.
X Press the abutton to store the entry.
The yellow indicator lamp on the auxiliary
heating button lights up.
Convenience submenu Activating/deactivating the EASY-
ENTRY/EXIT feature
G
WARNING
When the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature adjusts
the steering wheel, you and other vehicle
occupants – particularly children – could
become trapped. There is a risk of injury.
While the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature is mak-
ing adjustments, make sure that no one has
any body parts in the sweep of the steering
wheel.
If someone is trapped:
R press one of the memory function position
buttons, or
R move the switch for steering wheel adjust-
ment in the opposite direction to that in
which the steering wheel is moving.
The adjustment process is stopped.
X Press the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Settings Settingsmenu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Convenience
Convenience submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Using :or9, select the Easy
EasyEntry/
Entry/
Exit Exit function.
If the Easy Easy Entry/Exit
Entry/Exit function is activated,
the vehicle steering wheel is displayed in
orange in the multifunction display.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Further information on the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT
feature (Y page 115).
Switching belt adjustment on/off
X Press the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Settings Settingsmenu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Convenience
Convenience submenu.
X Press ato confirm. 254
Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays

This function is only available if you have stored
at least two laps and have stopped the RACE-
TIMER.
X Press the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the AMG AMGmenu.
X Press the 9button repeatedly until the lap
evaluation is shown.
Each lap is shown in a separate submenu. The fastest lap is indicated by flashing symbol :.
X Press the 9or: button to select a dif-
ferent lap evaluation. Display messages
Introduction
General notes Display messages appear in the multifunction display.
Display messages with graphic symbols are simplified in the Owner's Manual and may differ from
the symbols in the multifunction display.
Please respond in accordance with the display messages and follow the additional notes in this
Owner's Manual.
Certain display messages are accompanied by an audible warning tone or a continuous tone.
When you stop and park the vehicle, please observe the notes on:
R HOLD function (Y page 195)
R Parking (Y page 168)
Hiding display messages X
Press the aor% button on the steering wheel.
The multifunction display fades the display message out.
High-priority display messages are shown by the multifunction display in red. Some high-priority
display messages cannot be hidden.
The multifunction display shows these messages continuously until the causes for the messages
have been remedied.
Message memory The on-board computer saves certain display messages in the
message memory. You can call up
the display messages:
X Press =or; on the steering wheel to select the Serv. Serv.menu.
If there are display messages, the multifunction display shows 2 messages
2 messages, for example.
X Press the 9or: button to select the entry, e.g. 2 messages
2 messages.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the 9or: button to scroll through the display messages.
When the ignition is switched off, all display messages are deleted apart from some high-priority
display messages. Once the causes of the high-priority display messages have been rectified, these display messages are deleted as well. 258
Display messagesOn-board computer and displays

Safety systems
Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions !÷
currently unavaila‐
currently unavaila‐
ble ble See
SeeOwner's
Owner's Man‐
Man‐
ual
ual ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) and ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Pro-
gram) are temporarily unavailable.
Other driving and driving safety systems may also be malfunctioning.
In addition, the ÷,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 affected. The braking distance may increase in an emergency braking situation.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
There is an increased danger of skidding and risk of an accident.
X Carefully drive on a suitable stretch of road, making slight steering
movements at a speed above 20 km/h.
If the display message disappears, the functions mentioned above
are available again.
If the multifunction display still shows the display message: X Drive on carefully.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop immediately. !÷
inoperative inoperative See
See Own‐
Own‐
er's Man.
er's Man. ABS and ESP
®
are malfunctioning.
Other driving and driving safety systems may also be malfunctioning.
In addition, the J,÷,åand! 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 affected. The braking distance may increase in an emergency braking situation.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
There is an increased danger of skidding and risk of an accident.
X Drive on carefully.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop immediately. Display messages
259On-board computer and displays Z