MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV 2016 Owners Manual

Selecting Sport Plus tuning (Mercedes-
AMG vehicles) The very firm setting of the suspension setting in
the Sport Plus drive program ensures the best
possible contact with the road. Select this mode
when employing a sporty driving style, e.g. on
winding country roads or, ideally, when driving
on closed race circuits.
DSR is not available in the Sport Plusdrive pro-
gram. Further information on DSR
(Y page 227).
X Select the Sport Plus drive program using
DYNAMIC SELECT controller :.
The vehicle is lowered by 10 mm compared to
the normal level.
ACTIVE CURVE SYSTEM The ACTIVE CURVE SYSTEM uses active stabil-
isers to optimise both driving comfort and vehi- cle dynamics. Depending on the drive program
selected (Y page 159), the ACTIVE CURVE SYS-
TEM also changes the setting.
If you have selected the Comfortdrive program:
R rolling movement is reduced in the event of
changing surface undulations
R the roll angle when cornering is reduced
R the driving is dynamic
If you have selected the Sportdrive program:
R the roll angle is reduced significantly
R the driving is even more dynamic
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: if you have selected
the Sport Plus drive program:
R the roll angle is again reduced significantly
R the driving is designed for maximum dyna-
mism Vehicle level Important safety notes
G
WARNING
People's limbs may become trapped if they
are located underneath the vehicle or
between the vehicle body and the tyres when the vehicle is lowering. There is a danger of
injury.
When lowering the vehicle, make sure no one
is underneath the vehicle or in the immediate vicinity of the wheel arches. G
WARNING
When driving at a raised vehicle level, the driv- ing characteristics may be significantly affec-ted by the vehicle's raised centre of gravity.
The vehicle may be more liable to tip when
cornering, for example. There is a risk of an
accident.
Always select as low a vehicle level as possi-
ble and adjust your driving style accordingly. G
WARNING
When driving with a lowered or raised chassis frame, the driving and braking characteristics
may be seriously affected. A raised chassis
frame may also exceed the permissible vehi-
cle height. There is a risk of an accident.
Set the driving level before pulling away. G
WARNING
Due to the high centre of gravity, the vehicle
may start to skid and overturn in the event of abrupt steering manoeuvres and/or when the
vehicle's speed is not adapted to the road
conditions. There is a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your speed and driving style to
the vehicle's driving characteristics and to the prevailing road and weather conditions.
! When driving on extremely rough terrain,
select a high vehicle level in good time. Make
sure there is always sufficient ground clear-
ance. You will otherwise damage the vehicle.
R SUVs overturn considerably more often than
other vehicle types. 198
Driving systemsDriving and parking

If this vehicle is not driven in a safe manner, it
can lead to an accident, to the vehicle over-
turning as well as serious or even fatal inju-
ries.
R In the event of an accident with the vehicle
overturning, passengers who are not wearing
their seat belt are considerably more likely to die than passengers wearing their seat belt.
You and all vehicle occupants should always
wear your seat belts.
General notes
Only select raised level if this is appropriate for
the road conditions. Otherwise, fuel consump-
tion may increase and handling may be affected.
Make changes to the vehicle level while the
vehicle is in motion. This enables the vehicle to
adjust to the new level as quickly as possible.
The vehicle level may change visibly if you park
the vehicle and the outside temperature
changes. If the temperature drops, the vehicle
level lowers; with an increase in temperature,
the vehicle level rises.
If you unlock the vehicle or open a door, the
vehicle begins to compensate for load discrep-
ancies while still parked. However, for signifi-
cant level changes, e.g. after the vehicle has
been stationary for a long period, the engine
must be running. For safety reasons, the vehicle is only lowered when the doors are closed. Low-
ering is interrupted if a door is opened; it con-
tinues once the door has been closed.
Vehicles with no trailer coupled: below a
speed of 60 km/h, you can choose between the
normal and raised vehicle level. Select the nor-
mal vehicle level for normal road conditions and
the raised vehicle level when using snow chains or if the road conditions are very poor. Your
selection remains stored even if you remove the
key from the ignition lock. If you try to select
raised level at a speed above 60 km/h, the
Please
Please reduce reducespeed
speedmessage appears in the
multifunction display.
Vehicles with a trailer coupled: below a speed
of 30 km/h, you can choose between the nor-
mal and raised vehicle level. Setting the raised vehicle level X
Start the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is not lit:
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;flashes while the vehicle is
being raised, and lights up continuously as
soon as the vehicle reaches the desired level.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): the vehicle is raised by 60 mm com-
pared to the normal level.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the vehicle is
raised by 50 mm compared to the normal
level.
The Vehicle rising Vehicle rising message appears in the
multifunction display.
The message remains until the raised level is
reached.
If you press the %ora button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message will
disappear.
The raised vehicle level setting is cancelled if
you:
R drive at speeds above 60 km/h (all vehicles
except Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
R drive at speeds above 70 km/h (Mercedes-
AMG vehicles)
R drive at speeds between 65 km/h and
70 km/h for approximately 20 seconds
(Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
R drive at speeds above 30 km/h with a trailer
The raised level remains saved when you are not driving within these speed ranges.
Setting the normal vehicle level
! Make sure there is enough ground clear-
ance when the vehicle is being lowered. It
could otherwise hit the ground, damaging the
underbody. Driving systems
199Driving and parking Z

X
Start the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is lit:
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;flashes while the vehicle is
being lowered, and goes out as soon as the
desired vehicle level is reached.
Vehicles with no trailer coupled: the vehi-
cle is adjusted to the height of the selected
drive program (Y page 155).
Vehicles with a trailer coupled: the vehicle
is adjusted to normal level regardless of the
drive program selected (Y page 155). The
vehicle remains at normal level, even if you
change drive programs.
During the adjustment, the Lowering
Lowering mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
If you press the %ora button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message will
disappear. AMG RIDE CONTROL
General notes The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously. This improves driving
safety and ride comfort.
The damping is tuned individually to each wheel
and depends on:
R your driving style, e.g. sporty
R the road surface condition, e.g. bumps
R your individual selection of Sport, Sport + or
Comfort
The suspension setting can be adjusted using
the corresponding button in the centre console
or the DYNAMIC SELECT controller
(Y page 155).
If the ignition is switched off for less than four
hours, the previously selected drive program is
activated when the engine is next started. If the
ignition is switched off for more than four hours, Comfort mode is activated when the engine is
next started. Sport mode The firmer setting of the suspension tuning in
Sport mode ensures even better contact with
the road. Select this mode when employing a
sporty driving style, e.g. on winding country
roads.
X Press button :repeatedly until indicator
lamp =lights up.
You have selected Sport mode.
The AMG Ride Control SPORT AMG Ride Control SPORT message
appears in the multifunction display.
Sport + mode The very firm setting of the suspension setting in
Sport + mode ensures the best possible contact
with the road. Select this mode only when driv-
ing on race circuits.
If indicator lamps ;and =are off:
X Press button :repeatedly until indicator
lamp ;lights up.
You have selected Sport + mode.
The AMG Ride Control SPORT + AMG Ride Control SPORT + message
appears in the multifunction display.
In "Sport +" mode, the vehicle is lowered by
10 mm compared to the normal level.
Comfort mode In Comfort mode, the driving characteristics of
your vehicle are more comfortable. Select this
mode if you prefer a more comfortable driving
style, but also when driving fast on straight
roads, e.g. motorways.
X Press button :repeatedly until indicator
lamps ;and =go out.
You have selected Comfort mode.
The AMG Ride Control COMFORT AMG Ride Control COMFORT message
appears in the multifunction display. 200
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Parking Assist PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is an electronic
parking aid with ultrasound. It monitors the area
around your vehicle using six sensors in the
front bumper and six sensors in the rear
bumper. Parking Assist PARKTRONIC visually
and audibly indicates the distance between your
vehicle and an object.
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is
not a substitute for your attention to the imme-
diate 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.
! When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such as
flower pots or trailer drawbars. PARKTRONIC does not detect such objects when they are in
the immediate vicinity of the vehicle. You
could damage the vehicle or the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and objects which absorb ultrasonic sources.
Ultrasonic sources, such as an automatic car
wash, a lorry's compressed-air brakes or a
pneumatic drill, could cause PARKTRONIC to
malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on
uneven terrain.
! Fold in the ball coupling if the trailer tow
hitch is not required. PARKTRONIC measures the minimum detection range to an obstacle
from the bumper, not the ball coupling.
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is deactivated for
the rear area when you establish an electrical
connection between your vehicle and a trailer.
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is activated auto-
matically when you:
R switch on the ignition
R shift the transmission to position D,Ror N
R release the electric parking brake
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is deactivated at
speeds above 18 km/h. It is reactivated at lower
speeds. Range of the sensors General notes
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC does not take into
account obstacles located:
R below the detection range, e.g. persons, ani-
mals or objects
R above the detection range, e.g. overhanging
loads, tail sections or loading ramps of goods
vehicles :
Sensors in the front bumper, left-hand side
(example)
The sensors must be free of dirt, ice and slush.
Otherwise, they may not function correctly.
Clean the sensors regularly, taking care not to
scratch or damage them (Y page 341). Driving systems
201Driving and parking Z

Range
Front sensors
Centre Approx. 100 cm
Corners Approx. 60 cm
Rear sensors
Centre Approx. 120 cm
Corners Approx. 80 cm
Minimum distance
Centre Approx. 20 cm
Corners Approx. 15 cm
If there is an obstacle within this range, the rel-
evant warning displays light up and a warning
tone sounds. If the distance falls below the min- imum, the distance may no longer be shown. Warning displays
:
Segments on the left-hand side of the vehi-
cle
; Segments on the right-hand side of the vehi-
cle
= Segments showing operational readiness
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located on
the dashboard above the centre air vents. The
warning display for the rear area is located on
the roof lining in the rear compartment.
The warning display for each side of the vehicle
is divided into five yellow and two red segments.
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is operational if yel-
low segments showing operational readiness =
light up.
The selected transmission position and the
direction in which the vehicle is rolling deter-
mine which warning display is active when the
engine is running. Transmission posi-
tion Warning display
D
Front area activated
R,
Nor the vehicle is
rolling backwards Rear and front areas
activated
P
No areas activated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the vehi-
cle's distance from the obstacle.
From the:
R sixth segment onwards, you will hear an inter-
mittent warning tone for approximately two
seconds.
R seventh segment onwards, you will hear a
warning tone for approximately two seconds. 202
Driving systemsDriving and parking

This indicates that you have now reached the
minimum distance.
Deactivating/activating Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC :
Indicator lamp
; To deactivate or activate Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC If indicator lamp
:lights up, Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC is deactivated. Parking Pilot is
then also deactivated.
i Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is automati-
cally activated when you turn the key to posi- tion 2in the ignition lock.
Problems with Parking Assist PARKTRONIC Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M MSolutions Only the red segments in
the Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC warning
displays are lit. You also
hear a warning tone for
approximately two sec-
onds.
Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after approx-
imately five seconds,
and the indicator lamp in
the Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC button
lights up. Parking Assist PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has been deacti-
vated.
X If problems persist, have Parking Assist PARKTRONIC checked at a
qualified specialist workshop. Only the red segments in
the Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC warning
displays are lit. Parking
Assist PARKTRONIC is
deactivated after
approximately five sec-
onds. The Parking Assist PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is inter-
ference.
X Clean the Parking Assist PARKTRONIC sensors (Y page 341).
X Switch the ignition back on. The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or ultra-
sound waves.
X Check to see if Parking Assist PARKTRONIC works at a different
location. Driving systems
203Driving and parking Z

Parking Pilot
General notes Parking Pilot is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasound. It measures the road on both sides
of the vehicle. A parking symbol indicates a suit-
able parking space. Active steering intervention
and brake application can assist you during
parking. Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is also
available (Y page 201).
Important safety notes Parking Pilot is only an aid. It is not a substitute
for your attention to the immediate surround-
ings. The responsibility for safe manoeuvring
and parking remains with you. Make sure that no
persons, animals or objects are in the manoeu-
vring range.
When Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is deactiva-
ted, Parking Pilot is also unavailable. G
WARNING
While parking or pulling out of a parking
space, the vehicle swings out and can drive
onto areas of the oncoming lane. This could
cause you to collide with other road users.
There is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to other road users. Stop the
vehicle if necessary or cancel the Active Park- ing Assist parking procedure.
! If unavoidable, you should drive over obsta-
cles such as kerbs slowly and not at a sharp
angle. Otherwise, you may damage the
wheels or tyres.
Parking Pilot may show parking spaces which
are not suitable for parking, e.g.:
R in a zone where parking or stopping is pro-
hibited
R in front of driveways or entrances and exits
R on unsuitable surfaces
Parking tips:
R on narrow roads, drive as closely as possible
past the parking space
R parking spaces that are littered or overgrown
may not be identified or may be measured
incorrectly
R parking spaces in front of parked trailers, the
trailer drawbars of which protrude into the parking space, might not be identified as such
or be measured incorrectly
R snowfall or heavy rain may lead to a parking
space being measured inaccurately
R pay attention to the warning messages of
Parking Pilot PARKTRONIC during the parking
procedure (Y page 201)
R you can intervene in the steering procedure to
correct it at any time. Parking Pilot will then be cancelled.
R when transporting a load that protrudes from
your vehicle, you must not use Parking Pilot
R never use Parking Pilot when snow chains are
fitted
R Make sure that the tyre pressures are always
correct. This has a direct influence on the
parking characteristics of the vehicle
Use Parking Pilot for parking spaces that are:
R parallel or at right angles to the direction of
travel
R on straight roads, not bends
R on the same level as the road, e.g. not on the
pavement
Detecting parking spaces Objects located above the detection range of
Parking Pilot will not be detected when the park-
ing space is measured. These are not taken into
account when the parking procedure is calcula-
ted, e.g. overhanging loads, tail sections or load-
ing ramps of goods vehicles. Parking Pilot may
therefore guide you into the parking space too
early. G
WARNING
If there are objects above the detection range:
R Active Park Assist may steer too early
R the vehicle may not stop in front of these
objects
This could cause a collision. There is a risk of
an accident.
If objects are located above the detection
range, stop and deactivate Active Parking
Assist.
Further information on the detection range
(Y page 201). 204
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Parking Pilot does not assist you parking in
spaces at a right angle to the direction of travel
if:
R two parking spaces are located directly next
to one another
R the parking space is directly next to a low
obstacle such as a low kerb
R you forward-park
Parking Pilot does not assist you parking in
spaces parallel with or at a right angle to the
direction of travel if:
R the parking space is on a kerb
R the system reads the parking space as being
blocked, such as by foliage or grass paving
blocks
R the area is too small for the vehicle to
manoeuvre into
R the parking space is bordered by an obstacle,
e.g. a tree, a post or a trailer :
Detected parking space on the left
; Parking symbol
= Detected parking space on the right
Parking Pilot is activated automatically when
driving forwards. The system is operational at
speeds of up to approximately 35 km/h. While
in operation, the system independently locates
and measures parking spaces on both sides of
the vehicle.
Parking Pilot will detect only parking spaces:
R parallel or at right angles to the direction of
travel
R that are parallel to the direction of travel and
are at least 1.5 m wide
R that are parallel to the direction of travel and
at least 1.0 m longer than your vehicle
R that are at right angles to the direction of
travel and at least 1.0 mwider than your vehi-
cle
i Note that Parking Pilot PARKTRONIC cannot
measure the depth of parking spaces if they
are at right angles to the direction of travel. You will need to judge whether your vehicle
will fit in the parking space.
When driving at speeds below 30 km/h, you will
see parking symbol ;as a status indicator in
the instrument cluster. When a parking space
has been detected, an arrow towards the right or the left also appears. Parking Pilot displays only
parking spaces on the front-passenger side as
standard. Parking spaces on the driver's side
are displayed as soon as the turn signal on the
driver's side is activated. When parking on the
driver's side, this must remain activated until
you confirm the use of Parking Pilot by pressing the a button on the multifunction steering
wheel. The system automatically determines
whether the parking space is parallel or at right
angles to the direction of travel.
A parking space is displayed while you are driv- ing past it, and until you are approximately 15 m
away from it.
Parking G
WARNING
If you leave the vehicle when it is only being
braked by Active Parking Assist it could roll
away if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
R the vehicle is accelerated, e.g. by a vehicle
occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
Before leaving the vehicle, always secure it
against rolling away.
i If Parking Assist PARKTRONIC detects
obstacles, Parking Pilot brakes automatically whilst the vehicle is being parked. You are
responsible for braking in good time. Driving systems
205Driving and parking Z

X
Stop the vehicle when the parking symbol
shows the desired parking space in the instru-
ment cluster.
X Shift the transmission to position R.
The Start Parking Pilot? Yes: OK No:
Start Parking Pilot? Yes: OK No:
% message appears in the multifunction
display.
X To cancel the procedure:press the %
button on the multifunction steering wheel or pull away.
or
X To park using Parking Pilot: press thea
button on the multifunction steering wheel.
The Parking Pilot active Accelerate
Parking Pilot active Accelerate
and brake Observe surroundings and brake Observe surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
X Release the multifunction steering wheel.
X Reverse the vehicle, being ready to brake at
all times. When reversing, drive at a speed
below 10 km/h. Otherwise, Parking Pilot will
be cancelled.
Parking Pilot brakes the vehicle to a standstill when the vehicle approaches the rear border
of the parking space.
Manoeuvring may be required in tight parking
spaces.
The Parking Pilot active Select D
Parking Pilot active Select D
Observe surroundings Observe surroundings message appears in
the multifunction display.
X Shift the transmission to position Dwhile the
vehicle is stationary.
Parking Pilot immediately steers in the other
direction.
The Parking Pilot active Accelerate
Parking Pilot active Accelerate
and brake Observe surroundings
and brake Observe surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
i You will achieve the best results by waiting
for the steering procedure to complete before
pulling away.
X Drive forwards and be ready to brake at all
times.
Parking Pilot brakes the vehicle to a standstill.
The Parking Pilot active Select R
Parking Pilot active Select R
Observe surroundings Observe surroundings message appears in
the multifunction display.
As soon as the parking procedure is complete,
the Parking Pilot ended Parking Pilot ended message appears
and a warning tone sounds. The vehicle is now
parked. The vehicle is kept stationary without
the driver having to depress the brake pedal. The braking effect is cancelled when you
depress the accelerator pedal.
Parking Pilot no longer supports you with steer-
ing interventions and brake applications. When
Parking Pilot is finished, you must steer and
brake again yourself. Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC is still available.
Parking tips:
R The way your vehicle is positioned in the park-
ing space after parking is dependent on vari-
ous factors. These include the position and
shape of the vehicles parked in front of and
behind it and the conditions of the location. It
may be the case that Parking Pilot guides you
too far into a parking space, or not far enough
into it. In some cases, it may also lead you
across or onto the kerb. If necessary, you
should cancel the parking procedure with
Parking Pilot.
R You can also preselect transmission position
D. The vehicle redirects and does not drive as
far into the parking space. Should the trans-
mission change take place too early, the park-
ing procedure will be cancelled. A sensible
parking position can no longer be achieved
from this position.
Exiting a parking space In order for Parking Pilot to assist you:
R the border of the parking space must be high
enough at the front and the rear. A kerb, for
example, is too small.
R the border of the parking space must not be
too wide, as the position of the vehicle must
not exceed an angle of 45° to the starting
position as it is manoeuvred into the parking
space.
R a manoeuvring distance of at least 1.0 mmust
be available.
Parking Pilot can assist you with exiting a park-
ing space only if you have parked the vehicle
parallel to the direction of travel.
i If Parking Assist PARKTRONIC detects
obstacles, Parking Pilot brakes automatically
whilst the vehicle is exiting the parking space. You are responsible for braking in good time.
X Start the engine.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Switch on the turn signal in the direction you
will drive out of the parking space. 206
Driving systemsDriving and pa
rking

X
Shift the transmission to position Dor R.
The Start Parking Pilot? Yes: OK No:
Start Parking Pilot? Yes: OK No:
% message appears in the multifunction
display.
X To cancel the procedure:press the %
button on the multifunction steering wheel or pull away.
or
X To exit a parking space using Parking
Pilot: press the abutton on the multi-
function steering wheel.
The Parking Pilot active Accelerate
Parking Pilot active Accelerate
and brake Observe surroundings
and brake Observe surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
X Release the multifunction steering wheel.
X Pull away, being ready to brake at all times. Do
not exceed a maximum speed of approx-
imately 10 km/h when exiting a parking
space. Otherwise, Parking Pilot will be can-
celled.
X Shift the transmission to position Dor Ras
required or according to the message while
the vehicle is stationary.
Parking Pilot immediately steers in the other
direction. The Parking Pilot active
Parking Pilot active
Accelerate and brake Observe sur‐
Accelerate and brake Observe sur‐
roundings
roundings message appears in the multi-
function display.
i You will achieve the best results by waiting
for the steering procedure to complete before
pulling away.
If you reverse after activation, the steering
wheel is moved to the straight-ahead posi-
tion.
X Drive forwards and reverse as prompted by
the Parking Assist PARKTRONIC warning dis-
plays, several times if necessary.
Once you have exited the parking space com-
pletely, the steering wheel is moved to the
straight-ahead position. You hear a tone and the
Parking
Parking Pilot Pilotended
endedmessage appears in the
multifunction display. You will then have to steer
and merge into traffic on your own. Parking
Assist PARKTRONIC is still available. You can
take over the steering before the vehicle has
exited the parking space completely. This is
useful, for example, when you recognise that it
is already possible to pull out of the parking
space. Cancelling Parking Pilot X
Stop the movement of the multifunction
steering wheel or steer yourself.
Parking Pilot is immediately cancelled. The
Parking Pilot cancelled Parking Pilot cancelled message
appears in the multifunction display.
or X Press the Parking Assist PARKTRONIC button
(Y page 203).
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is switched off
and Parking Pilot is immediately cancelled.
The Parking Pilot cancelled Parking Pilot cancelled message
appears in the multifunction display.
Parking Pilot is cancelled automatically if: R the electric parking brake is applied
R transmission position Pis selected
R parking using Parking Pilot is no longer pos-
sible
R you are driving faster than 10 km/h
R a wheel spins and ESP ®
intervenes or fails.
The ÷ warning lamp lights up in the instru-
ment cluster
A warning tone sounds. The parking symbol dis-
appears and the multifunction display shows the
Parking Pilot cancelled Parking Pilot cancelled message.
When Parking Pilot is cancelled, you must steer and brake again yourself.
If a system malfunction occurs, the vehicle is
braked to a standstill. To drive on, depress the
accelerator pedal again. Reversing camera
General notes Reversing camera
:is an optical parking and
manoeuvring aid. It shows the area behind your Driving systems
207Driving and parking Z