tailgate MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV 2016 User Guide

Tailgate reversing function
On vehicles with tailgate remote closing feature,
the tailgate is equipped with automatic obstacle
recognition with a reversing function. If a solid
object blocks or restricts the tailgate when auto- matically opening or closing, this procedure is
stopped. If the tailgate is stopped during the
closing procedure, it will open again automati-
cally. The automatic obstacle detection with
reversing function is only an aid. It is not a sub-
stitute for your attention when opening and
closing the tailgate. G
WARNING
The reversing function does not react:
R to soft, light and thin objects, e.g. fingers
R over the last 8 mm of the closing path
The reversing feature cannot prevent some-
one being trapped in these situations in par-
ticular. There is a risk of injury.
When closing make sure that no body parts
are in the closing area.
If someone is trapped:
R press the Fbutton on the key or
R pull or press the remote operating switch
on the driver's door or
R press the closing or locking button on the
tailgate or
R pull the handle on the tailgate Opening and closing manually from
outside
Opening X
Press the %button on the key.
X Pull handle :and release it.
The tailgate opens automatically.
Closing X
Pull the tailgate down using recess :.
X Let the tailgate to drop into the lock.
X Lock the vehicle if necessary with the &
button on the key or with KEYLESS-GO.
i If a KEYLESS-GO key is detected in the lug-
gage compartment, the tailgate will not lock. Opening and closing automatically
from the outside
Important safety notes United Kingdom only:
G
WARNING
When the double locks are activated, the
doors can no longer be opened from the
inside. People in the vehicle can no longer get out, e.g. in hazardous situations. There is a
risk of injury.
Therefore, do not leave any people unsuper-
vised in the vehicle, particularly children, eld-
erly people or people in need of special assis-
tance. Do not activate the double lock when
people are in the vehicle.
If the vehicle has been locked from the outside, the double lock function is activated as stand-
ard. It is then not possible to open the doors
from inside the vehicle. You can deactivate the
double lock function by deactivating the interior
motion sensor (Y page 80). The doors can then90
Luggage compartmentOpening and closing

be opened from the inside after the vehicle has
been locked from the outside. You can only open the rear doors from inside the vehicle if they are
not secured by the child-proof locks
(Y page 67). The anti-theft alarm system is trig-
gered if the door is opened from the inside.
Switch off the alarm (Y page 78).
The anti-theft alarm system is triggered if the
door is opened from the inside. Switch off the
alarm (Y page 78).
All countries: G
WARNING
Parts of the body could become trapped dur-
ing automatic closing of the tailgate. More-
over, people, e.g. children, may be standing in the closing area or may enter the closing area
during the closing process. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of the closing area during the closing process.
Use one of the following options to stop the
closing process:
R press the Fbutton on the key
R pull or press the remote operating switch
on the driver's door
R press the closing or locking button on the
tailgate
R pull the handle on the tailgate G
WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. If the tailgate is open when the engine is running, particu-
larly if the vehicle is moving, exhaust fumes
could enter the passenger compartment.
There is a risk of poisoning.
Turn off the engine before opening the tail-
gate. Never drive with the tailgate open.
! The tailgate swings upwards and to the rear
when opened. Therefore, make sure that
there is sufficient clearance above and behind
the tailgate.
Two warning tones sound while the tailgate is
opening or closing. The opening dimensions of the tailgate can be
found in the "Vehicle data" section
(Y
page 387).
i Notes on the automatic reversing feature for
the tailgate (Y page 90).
Opening the tailgate automatically You can open the tailgate automatically using
the key or the handle in the tailgate.
X Press and hold the Fbutton on the key
until the tailgate opens.
or X When the tailgate is unlocked, pull the tailgate
handle and let it go again immediately.
or X With the tailgate stopped in an intermediate
position, pull the tailgate upwards.
You can release the tailgate as soon as the
tailgate starts to open.
Closing the tailgate automatically X
To close: press closing button :in the tail-
gate.
or X Press and hold the Fbutton on the key
until the tailgate closes.
You can release the button as soon as the
tailgate starts to close.
or X Pull the tailgate downwards slightly.
You can release the tailgate as soon as the
tailgate starts to close.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: you can close and
lock the tailgate simultaneously. X Press locking button ;in the tailgate.
If a KEYLESS-GO key is detected outside the
vehicle, the tailgate closes and locks. All Luggage compartment
91Opening and closing Z

doors must be shut and the key must be loca-
ted in the vicinity of the tailgate.
i There must not be a key in the ignition lock
in order to open and close the tailgate.
If the tailgate touches an object while closing, the closing procedure is interrupted and the
tailgate reopens.
i If a KEYLESS-GO key is detected in the lug-
gage compartment, the tailgate will not lock. Opening and closing automatically
from the inside
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Parts of the body could become trapped dur-
ing automatic closing of the tailgate. In addi-
tion, people may be standing in the closing
area or may enter the closing area, e.g. chil-
dren, during the closing procedure. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of theclosing area during the closing process.
Release the remote operating switch imme-
diately if somebody becomes trapped. To re-
open the tailgate pull on the remote operating
switch. G
WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. If the tailgate is open when the engine is running, particu-
larly if the vehicle is moving, exhaust fumes
could enter the passenger compartment.
There is a risk of poisoning.
Turn off the engine before opening the tail-
gate. Never drive with the tailgate open.
! The tailgate swings upwards and to the rear
when opened. Therefore, make sure that
there is sufficient clearance above and behind
the tailgate.
Two warning tones sound while the tailgate is
opening or closing.
The opening dimensions of the tailgate can be
found in the "Vehicle data" section
(Y page 387). i
Notes on the automatic reversing feature for
the tailgate (Y page 90).
Opening and closing X
To open:pull remote operating switch :for
the tailgate until the tailgate opens.
X To close: turn the key to position 1or 2in the
ignition lock.
X Press remote operating switch for tailgate :
until the tailgate is completely closed.
You can open and close the tailgate from the
driver's seat when the vehicle is stationary and
unlocked. Limiting the opening angle of the tail-
gate
General notes !
Make sure there is sufficient clearance to
open the tailgate fully when setting the open- ing angle. The tailgate could otherwise be
damaged. Ideally, set the opening angle out-
side.
Priming You can limit the opening angle of the tailgate.
This is possible in the top half of its opening
range, up to approximately 10 cm before the
stop.
X To open the tailgate: pull the handle on the
tailgate.
X To stop the opening procedure at the
desired position:
press the closing button in92
Luggage compartmentOpening and closing

the tailgate or pull the handle on the outside
of the tailgate again.
X To store the position: press and hold the
closing button in the tailgate until two short
tones sound.
The opening angle limiter is activated. The
tailgate then stops in the stored position
when opened.
Switching off X
Press and hold the closing button in the tail-
gate until you hear a short tone. Tailgate emergency release
General notes !
The tailgate swings upwards and to the rear
when opened. Therefore, make sure that
there is sufficient clearance above and behind
the tailgate.
The opening dimensions of the tailgate can be
found in the "Vehicle data" section
(Y page 387).
If the tailgate can no longer be unlocked:
R using the key, or
R using the remote operating switch in the door
control panel:
use the emergency release.
To open X
Take emergency key element ;out of the
key (Y page 83).
X Insert emergency key element ;or a suita-
ble tool, e.g. a thin screwdriver, into open-
ing :of the trim and press in.
The tailgate is released. X
Open the tailgate.
X Insert emergency key element ;into the key
(Y page 84). Side windows
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
While opening the side windows, body parts
could become trapped between the side win- dow and the door frame as the side window
moves. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody touches the side win-
dow during the opening procedure. If some-
body becomes trapped, release the switch or pull the switch to close the side window again. G
WARNING
While closing the side windows, body parts in the closing area could become trapped. There is a risk of injury.
When closing make sure that no parts of the
body are in the closing area. If somebody
becomes trapped, release the switch or press
the switch to open the side window again. G
WARNING
If children operate the side windows they
could become trapped, particularly if they are left unsupervised. There is a risk of injury.
Activate the override feature for the rear side
windows. When leaving the vehicle, always
take the key with you and lock the vehicle.
Never leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle. Side window reversing feature
The side windows are equipped with an auto-
matic reversing feature. If a solid object blocks
or restricts a side window during the closing
process, the side window opens again automat-
ically. The automatic reversing feature is, how-
ever, only an aid and is no substitute for your
attention when closing a side window. Side
windows
93Opening an d closing Z

Switching the rear window wiper on/
off Combination switch
:
è Rear window wiper switch
2 b Wipes with washer fluid
3 ISwitches on intermittent wiping
4 0Switches off intermittent wiping
5 b Wipes with washer fluid
X Turn the key to position 1or 2in the ignition
lock (Y page 148).
X Turn switch :on the combination switch to
the corresponding position.
When the rear window wiper is switched on,
the icon appears in the instrument cluster. Replacing the wiper blades
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the windscreen wipers begin to move while
you are changing the wiper blades, you can be trapped by the wiper arm. There is a risk of
injury.
Always switch off the windscreen wipers and
ignition before changing the wiper blades.
! To avoid damaging the windscreen wiper
blades, make sure that you touch only the
wiper arm of the windscreen wiper.
! Never open the bonnet/tailgate if a wiper
arm is folded away from the windscreen/rear
window.
Never fold a windscreen wiper arm without a
wiper blade back onto the windscreen/rear
window. Hold the windscreen wiper arm firmly when
you change the wiper blade. If you release the
wiper arm without a wiper blade and it falls
onto the windscreen/rear window, the wind-
screen/rear window may be damaged by the
force of the impact.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have
the wiper blades changed at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Replacing the windscreen wiper blades Removing the wiper blades
X Remove the key from the ignition lock.
X Fold the wiper arm away from the windscreen. X
Firmly press release knob :and pull wiper
blade ;upwards from the wiper arm in the
direction of the arrow.
Fitting the wiper blades X
Position new wiper blade :in the retainer on
the wiper arm and slide it into place in the
direction of the arrow.
The wiper blade audibly engages.
X Make sure that the wiper blade sits correctly.
X Fold the wiper arm back onto the windscreen. Windscreen wipers
129Lights and windscreen wipers Z

twigs can gather between the underbody and
the underbody panelling. If these materials
come in contact with hot parts of the exhaust
system, they can catch fire.
In such situations, have the vehicle checked
and repaired immediately at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. If on continuing your jour-
ney you notice that driving safety is impaired, pull over and stop the vehicle immediately,
paying attention to road and traffic condi-
tions. In such cases, consult a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
When driving off-road, substances such as sand,
mud and water or water mixed with oil may get
into the brakes. This may lead to a reduction in
braking performance or total brake failure as a
result of increased wear. The braking charac-
teristics will vary depending on the substances
that get into the brakes. Clean the brakes after
driving off-road. If you notice grinding noises or a reduction in braking performance, have the
brake system checked at a qualified specialist
workshop immediately. Adapt your driving style
to the altered braking characteristics.
Driving off-road increases the possibility of dam- age to the vehicle, which may cause assemblies
or systems to fail. Adapt your driving style to the conditions of the terrain. Drive carefully. Have
vehicle damage rectified immediately at a quali-
fied specialist workshop.
Do not shift into transmission position Nwhen
driving off-road. You could lose control of the
vehicle if you attempt to brake the vehicle using
the service brake. If the gradient is too steep for your vehicle, back up in reverse gear.
General notes H
Environmental note
Protection of the environment is of primary
importance. Treat nature with respect.
Observe all prohibiting signs.
Read this section before driving your vehicle off- road. Practise by driving over more gentle off-
road terrain first. The following driving systems are specially
adapted to off-road driving:
R the Offroad drive program (vehicles without
Off-Road Engineering package)
(Y page 228)
R Offroad andOffroad Plus drive programs
(vehicles with Off-Road Engineering package) (Y page 229)
R LOW RANGE offroad gear (vehicles with the
Off-Road Engineering package)
(Y page 230)
R Differential lock (vehicles with the Off-Road
Engineering package) (Y page 230)
R Off-road ABS (Y page 69)
R Off-road 4ETS (Y page 72)
R Off-road ESP ®
(Y page 74)
R AIRMATIC package (vehicle level)
(Y page 196)
R DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)
(Y page 227)
Observe the following notes:
R Stop the vehicle before driving off-road. If
necessary, select the offroad program
(Y page 229) or shift to the LOW RANGE off-
road gear (Y page 230).
R Select a vehicle level suitable for the off-road
terrain. To avoid damaging the vehicle, ensure
sufficient ground clearance at all times.
R Make sure that items of luggage and loads are
stowed safely and are well secured
(Y page 316).
R Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a downhill gradient. Activate
DSR (Y page 227).
R Drive slowly and evenly, if necessary at walk-
ing pace.
R Ensure that the wheels are in contact with the
ground at all times.
R Drive with extreme care on unknown off-road
routes where visibility is poor. For safety rea-
sons, get out of the vehicle first and survey
the off-road route.
R Look out for obstacles such as rocks, holes,
tree stumps and furrows.
R Take care when turning on an uphill or down-
hill slope or when driving across a slope. The
vehicle could otherwise tip over.
R Always keep the doors, the tailgate and the
sliding sunroof closed while the vehicle is in
motion. Driving
tips
177Driving an d parking Z

vehicle with guide lines in the multimedia sys-
tem.
The area behind the vehicle is displayed as a
mirror image, as in the rear-view mirror.
i The text shown in the multimedia system
display depends on the language setting. The following are examples of reversing camera
messages in the multimedia system.
Important safety notes The reversing camera is only an aid. It is not a
substitute for your attention to the immediate
surroundings. The responsibility for safe
manoeuvring and parking remains with you.
Make sure that there are no persons, animals or objects in range while manoeuvring and parking.
Under the following circumstances, the revers-
ing camera will not function, or will function in a limited manner:
R if the boot lid is open
R in heavy rain, snow or fog
R at night or in very dark places
R if the camera is exposed to very bright light
R if the area is lit by fluorescent bulbs or LED
lighting (the display may flicker)
R If there is a sudden change in temperature,
e.g. when driving into a heated garage in win- ter
R if the camera lens is dirty or obstructed.
Observe the notes on cleaning
(Y page 341)
R if the rear of your vehicle is damaged. In this
case, have the camera position and setting
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
The field of vision and other functions of the
reversing camera may be restricted due to addi-
tional accessories on the rear of the vehicle (e.g. licence plate holder, bicycle rack).
For technical reasons, leaving the standard
height can result in inaccuracies in the guide
lines on vehicles with a height-adjustable chas-
sis.
i The reversing camera is protected from rain-
drops and dust by a flap. When the reversing
camera is activated, this flap opens.
The flap closes again when:
R you have finished the manoeuvring process
R you switch off the engine
R you open the luggage compartment See the notes on cleaning (Y
page 341).
For technical reasons, the flap may remain
open briefly after the reversing camera has
been deactivated.
Activating/deactivating the reversing
camera X
To activate: make sure that the key is in
position 2in the ignition lock.
X Make sure that the Activation by R gear Activation by R gear
function is selected in the multimedia system; see the Digital Owner's Manual.
X Engage reverse gear.
The reversing camera flap opens. The multi-
media system shows the area behind the vehi-
cle with guide lines.
The image from the reversing camera is avail-
able throughout the manoeuvring process.
X To switch the function mode for vehicles
with trailer tow hitch: using the controller,
select symbol :for the "Reverse parking"
function or symbol ;for "Coupling up a
trailer".
The symbol of the selected function is high-
lighted.
To deactivate: the reversing camera deacti-
vates if you shift the transmission to Por after
driving forwards a short distance.
Displays in the multimedia system The reversing camera may show a distorted view
of obstacles, show them incorrectly or not at all. Obstacles in the following locations are not
shown by the reversing camera:
R Very close to the rear bumper
R Under the rear bumper
R In the area immediately above the recessed
tailgate handle 208
Driving systemsDriving and parking

The flap closes again when:
R you have finished the manoeuvring process
R you switch off the engine
R you open the luggage compartment
See the notes on cleaning (Y page 341).
For technical reasons, the flap may remain
open briefly after the camera has been deac- tivated.
Important safety notes The 360° camera is only an aid and may show a
distorted view of obstacles, show them incor-
rectly or not at all. The 360° camera is not a
substitute for attentive driving.
The responsibility for safe manoeuvring and
parking remains with you. Make sure that there
are no persons, animals or objects in range
while manoeuvring and parking.
You are responsible for safety at all times and
must always pay attention to your surroundings when parking and manoeuvring. This applies to
the areas behind, in front of and beside the vehi- cle. You could otherwise endanger yourself and
others.
The 360° camera will not function or will func-
tion only to a limited extent:
R If the doors are open
R If the exterior mirrors are folded in
R If the tailgate is open
R In heavy rain, snow or fog
R At night or in very dark places
R If the cameras are exposed to very bright light
R If the area is lit by fluorescent bulbs or LED
lighting (the display may flicker)
R If there is a sudden change in temperature,
e.g. when driving into a heated garage in win- ter
R If the camera lenses are dirty or covered
R If the vehicle components in which the cam-
eras are fitted are damaged. In this event,
have the camera position and setting checked
at a qualified specialist workshop
Do not use the 360° camera under such cir-
cumstances. You could otherwise injure others
or damage objects when parking the vehicle.
Guide lines are always shown at road level. In
trailer mode, the guide lines are shown at the
level of the trailer coupling. The field of vision and other functions of the
camera system may be restricted due to addi-
tional accessories on the rear of the vehicle (e.g.
licence plate holder, bicycle rack).
On vehicles with height-adjustable suspension,
due to the technical conditions, leaving the
standard height can result in the following:
R Inaccuracies in the guide lines
R Inaccuracies in the display of generated
images (top view)
Activation conditions The 360° camera image can be displayed if:
R your vehicle is equipped with a 360° camera
R the key is in position 2in the ignition lock
R the multimedia system is switched on
Activating the 360° camera X
Press the Øbutton in the centre console
for longer than two seconds.
The following appears depending on whether transmission position Dor Ris selected:
R a split screen with top view and the image
from the front camera or
R a split screen with top view and the image
from the reversing camera
or
X Press the Øbutton in the centre console.
The vehicle menu appears.
X Select 360°
360° camera camera and press 7to confirm.
The following appears depending on whether transmission position Dor Ris selected:
R a split screen with top view and the image
from the front camera or
R a split screen with top view and the image
from the reversing camera
Switching on the 360° camera using
reverse gear You can show images from the 360° camera
automatically by engaging reverse gear. Driving systems
213Driving and parking Z

X
Make sure that the key is in position 2in the
ignition lock.
X Make sure that the Activation by R gear
Activation by R gear
function is selected in the multimedia system (see the separate operating instructions).
X To show the 360° camera image: engage
reverse gear.
The multimedia system shows the area
behind the vehicle in split-screen mode. You
see the top view of the vehicle and the image from the reversing camera.
Selecting the split-screens or 180° view Selecting split-screen view
X To switch to the line with the vehicle icons:
slide 5the controller.
X To select one of the vehicle icons: turn 3
the controller.
X To switch to 180° view 180° view:turn 3 the con-
troller to select 180° view
180° view and press7to
confirm.
i The
180°
180° view
viewoption is only available in the
following views:
R Top view with image from the reversing
camera
R Top view with image from the front camera
Displays in the multimedia system Important safety notes
The camera system may show a distorted view
of obstacles or show them incorrectly or not at
all. Obstacles in the following locations are not
shown by the system:
R Under the front and rear bumpers
R Very close to the front and rear bumpers
R In the area immediately above the recessed
tailgate handle
R Very close to the exterior mirrors
R In the transitional areas between the various
cameras in the virtual top view
! Objects not at ground level may appear to
be further away than they actually are, e.g.:
R the bumper of a parked vehicle
R the drawbar of a trailer
R the ball coupling of a trailer tow hitch R
the rear section of an HGV
R a slanted post
Use the guidelines only for orientation.
Approach objects no further than the bottom- most guideline.
Top view with image from the reversing
camera :
Yellow guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 4.0 m from the rear of the vehicle
; Symbol for the split-screen setting with top
view and reversing camera image
= Guide line for the maximum steering angle
? Yellow lane marking the course the tyres will
take at the current steering wheel angle
(dynamic)
A Yellow guide line for the vehicle width
including the exterior mirrors, for current
steering wheel angle (dynamic) B
Vehicle centre axis (locating aid)
C Yellow guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 1.0 m from the rear of the vehicle
D Bumper
E Red guide line at a distance of approximately
0.30 m from the rear of the vehicle
The guide lines are shown when the transmis-
sion is in position R.214
Driving systemsDriving and parking

E
Level control
F Compass with angle scale
Activating the driving dynamics display X
Switch on COMAND Online. You can find fur-
ther information in the separate COMAND
Online operating instructions.
X Press button :.
The driving dynamics display appears in the
COMAND display. Towing a trailer
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Vehicles with level control:
The vehicle level may be changed uninten-
tionally, e.g. by other persons. If this happens while you are coupling or decoupling a trailer,
you could become trapped. In addition, other
people could become trapped if their limbs
are between the vehicle body and the wheels or underneath the vehicle. There is a risk of
injury.
When coupling or decoupling a trailer, make
sure that no one:
R opens or closes the doors or the tailgate
R initiates a level change or turns the
DYNAMIC SELECT Controller
R locks or unlocks the vehicle G
WARNING
You could lose control of the vehicle/trailer
combination if it begins to swerve. The vehi- cle/trailer combination could even overturn.
There is a risk of an accident.
On no account should you attempt to
straighten out the vehicle/trailer combina-
tion by increasing speed. Decrease your
speed and do not countersteer. Brake if nec-
essary. G
WARNING
If the maximum permissible load for a carrier system is exceeded, the carrier could come
loose from the vehicle and endanger other
road users. There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Never exceed the maximum permissible load
when using a carrier.
Exceeding the maximum permissible nose-
weight of the trailer drawbar on the ball coupling
may cause damage to the following:
R your vehicle
R the trailer
R the ball coupling
R trailer tow hitch
The vehicle/trailer combination could become
unstable.
If the noseweight used is lower than the mini-
mum permissible noseweight, the vehicle/
trailer combination could also become unstable. To avoid hazardous situations:
R make sure to check the noseweight before
each journey
R use a drawbar noseweight as close as possi-
ble to the maximum noseweight
R do not exceed the maximum permissible
noseweight
R do not use a noseweight lower than the min-
imum noseweight
When reversing the vehicle towards the trailer,
make sure there is nobody between the trailer
and the vehicle.
Couple and uncouple the trailer carefully. If you do not couple the trailer to the towing vehicle
correctly, the trailer could become detached.
Make sure that the following values are not
exceeded:
R the permissible trailer drawbar noseweight
R the permissible trailer load Towing a trailer
233Driving and parking Z