MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV 2020 Owners Manual

#
Toswitch on the po wer supp ly:press but‐
to n1 once.
Yo u can activate the windscreen wiper, for
ex ample.
The po wer supp lyis switched off again if thefo l‐
lowing conditions are me t:
R you open the driver's door.
R you press but ton1 twice more. #
Toswitch on the ignition: press button 1
twice.
The indicator lamps in the instrument clus ter
light up.
The ignition is switched off again if one of the
fo llowing conditions is me t:
R you do not start theve hicle within
15 minutes and the transmission is in posi‐
tion jorthe electric parking brake is
applied.
R you press but ton1 once. St
arting theve hicle St
arting theve hicle with thest art/s top but‐
ton &
DANG ER Risk of death caused by
ex haust gases
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
ga ses such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
th ese exhaust gases is hazardous tohealth
and leads topoisoning. #
Never lea vethe engine or, if present,
th e auxiliary heating running in an
enclosed space wi thout suf ficient venti‐
lation. &
WARNING Risk offire due toflammable
material in the engine compartment or
th eex haust sy stem
Flammable materials may ignite. #
Therefore, check regularly that there
are no flammable materials in the
engine compartment or on theex haust
sy stem. Re
quirements:
R theke y is in theve hicle and is recognised. #
Shift the transmission toposition jori. #
Depress the brake pedal and press button
1 once. #
Ifth eve hicle does not star t:switch off non-
essential consumers and press button 1
once. #
Ifth eve hicle still does not start and the dis‐
play message Place the key in the marked
space See Owner's Manual also appears in
th e multifunction display: start theve hicle
with theke y in the mar ked space (emer gency
operation mode) (/ page 189).
% You can swit choff the engine while driving
by pressing button 1for about thre e sec‐
onds or bypressing button 1thre e times
within thre e seconds. Be sure toobser vethe
saf ety no tes under "Driving tips"
(/ page 192). 18 8
Driving and pa rking

St
arting theve hicle with theke y in the
ma rked space (emer gency operation mode)
If th eve hicle does not start and thePlace the
key in the marked space See Owner's Manual
message appears in the multifunction displa y,
yo u can start theve hicle in emer gency operation
mode. #
Makesure that the mar ked space 2is
em pty. #
Remo vetheke y1 from theke yring. #
Place theke y1 inthe mar ked space 2
next tothe symbol 3.
The vehicle will start af ter a short time.
If yo ure mo vetheke y1 from the mar ked
space 2the engine continues running. For
fur ther vehicle starts ho wever,th eke y1
must be located in the mar ked space 2
next tothe symbol 3during the entire jour‐
ne y. #
Have theke y1ch ecked at a qualified spe‐
cialist workshop.
If th eve hicle does not star t: #
place theke y1 inthe mar ked space 2
and lea veitth ere. #
Depress the brake pedal and start theve hi‐
cle using thest art/ stop button.
% You can also swit chon the po wer supp lyor
th e ignition with thest art/ stop button. St
arting theve hicle via Remo teOnline serv‐
ices Cooling or heating
theve hicle interior before
commencing your journey
Ensure thefo llowing before starting the engine:
R the legal stipulations in the area where your
ve hicle is par ked allow engine starting via
smartphone.
R it is safe tostart and runth e engine where
yo ur vehicle is par ked.
R the fuel tank is su fficiently full.
R thest ar ter battery is suf ficiently charge d.
Charging thest ar ter battery be fore starting
th e jou rney
If th eve hicle battery is dischar ged, you can
re cei vea message on your smartphone. You can
th en start theve hicle with the smartphone to
ch arge the batter y.The vehicle is automatically
switched off af terte n minu tes. Driving and parking
18 9

Ensu
rethefo llowing before starting the engine:
R the legal stipulations in the area where your
ve hicle is par ked allow engine starting via
smartphone.
R it is safe tostart and runth e engine where
yo ur vehicle is par ked.
R The fuel tank is su fficiently full.
St arting theve hicle (Remo teOnline) &
WARNING Risk of crushing or entrap‐
ment due tounin tentional starting of the
engine
Limbs could be crushed or trapped if the
engine is star ted unintentionally during
service or maintenance work. #
Alw ays secure the engine against unin‐
te ntional starting before car rying out
maintenance or repair work. Re
quirements:
R park position jis selected.
R the anti- theft alarm sy stem is not activated.
R the panic alarm is not activated. R
the hazard warning light sy stem is switched
off.
R the bonn etis closed.
R the doors are closed and loc ked.
R the windo wsand sliding sun roof are closed. #
Start theve hicle using the smartphone.
Af tereve ryengine start, the engine runs for
te n minu tes.
Yo u can car ryout a maximum of two consecu‐
tive starting attem pts. Yo u must start theve hicle
once with theke y before trying tostart the
engine again with the smartphone. you can stop
th eve hicle again at any time.
% Further information can be found in the
smartphone app.
Securing the engine against starting before
car rying out maintenance or repair work: #
switch on the hazard warning light sy stem.
or #
unlock the doors.
or #
open a side window or the sliding sunroof. Ru
nning-in no tes To
preser vethe engine during thefirs t15 00 km:
R drive at varying road speeds and engine
speeds.
R do not drive at speeds greater than
14 0 km/h.
R drive theve hicle in drive program A
or ;.
R shift tothe next highest gear at theve ry lat‐
est when the needle reaches the last third
before there d area in there v counter.
R do not shift down a gear manually in order to
brake.
R avoidove rstraining theve hicle, e.g. driving at
full thro ttle.
R do not depress the accelera tor pedal past
th e pressure point (kickdown).
R only increase the engine speed gradually and
accelera tetheve hicle tofull speed af ter
15 00 km. 19 0
Driving and pa rking

This also applies when
the engine or parts of the
driv etra in ha vebeen replaced.
Please also obser vethefo llowing running-in
no tes:
R in cer tain driving and driving saf ety sy stems,
th e sensors adjust automatically while a cer‐
ta in dis tance is being driven af terth eve hicle
has been delivered or af terre pairs. Full sys‐
te m ef fectiveness is not reached until the
end of this teach-in process.
R brakepads, brake discs and tyres that are
either new or ha vebeen replaced only ach‐
ie ve optimum braking ef fect and grip af ter
se veral hundred kilom etre s of driving. Com‐
pensate forth ere duced braking ef fect by
applying greater forc eto the brake pedal. Note
s on optimised acceleration If all necessary
requirements and activation con‐
ditions are fulfilled, the best possible accelera‐
tion can be achie ved from a standstill.
Do not use the optimised acceleration on public
ro ads. Individual wheels could spin and youcould lose control of
theve hicle. There is an
increased risk of skidding and/or accident.
Be sure toobser vethe saf ety no tes and informa‐
tion on ESP ®
(/ page 227). Moving
away with optimised acceleration &
WARNING Risk of skidding and having
an accident from wheels spinning
When you use optimised acceleration, indi‐
vidual wheels could spin and you could lose
cont rol of theve hicle.
If ESP ®
is deactivated, there is a risk of skid‐
ding and accident! #
Make sure that no persons or obstacles
are in the close vicinity of your vehicle. Re
quirements:
R theve hicle is run in (/ page 190).
R theve hicle and tyres are in good condition.
R you are on a high-g rip ro adw ay.
R the engine and transmission are at normal
operating temp erature. *
NO
TEIncreased wear due tooptimised
acceleration When pulling
away with optimised accelera‐
tion, all components of the driv etra in are
subjected toave ry high load.
This can lead toinc reased component wear. #
Do not alw ays pull away with optimised
acceleration. #
Engage theh drive position (/ page 206). #
Movethesteering wheel tothest ra ight-
ahead position. #
Select the sportiest available drive program
B orC(/ page 203). #
Deactivating ESP ®
(/ page 229). #
Depress and hold the brake pedal firm ly wi th
yo ur left foot. #
With your right foot , fully depress the accel‐
erator pedal. Driving and parking
191

#
After no more than five seconds, take your
left foot quickly off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum accelera‐
tion. #
Swit chon ESP ®
once the acceleration proce‐
dure is comple te.
Ending optimised acceleration #
Remo veyour foot from the accelerator pedal. #
Reactivate the ESP ®
.
% Afteryo u pull away with optimised accelera‐
tion, components of the driv etra in can
become very hot, which means that opti‐
mised acceleration values may be reached
again on lyafte r a few minutes. Note
s on driving &
WARNING Risk of accident due to
objects in the driver's foot we ll
Objects in the driver's foot we ll may impede
pedal tr avel or block a depressed pedal. This jeopardises
the operating and road
saf ety of theve hicle. #
Stow all objects in theve hicle securely
so that they cannot getinto the driver's
fo ot we ll. #
Alw aysfit th efloor mats securely and
as prescribed in order toensure that
th ere is alw ays suf ficient room forthe
pedals. #
Do not use loose floor mats and do not
place floor mats on top of one ano ther. &
WARNING Risk of accident due toincor‐
re ct foot we ar
Incor rect foot we ar includes, forex ample:
R shoes with plat form soles
R shoes with high heels
R slippers #
Alw ayswe ar suitable foot we ar so that
yo u can operate the pedals safel y. &
WARNING Risk of accident if the ignition
is switched off while driving
If yo u swit choff the ignition while driving,
saf ety functions are restricted or no longer
av ailable.
Yo u will then need, forex ample, touse con‐
siderably more forc eto steer and brake. #
Do not switch off the ignition while driv‐
ing. &
DANG ER Risk of death caused by
ex haust gases
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
ga ses such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
th ese exhaust gases is hazardous tohealth
and leads topoisoning. #
Never lea vethe engine or, if present,
th e auxiliary heating running in an
enclosed space wi thout suf ficient venti‐
lation. 19 2
Driving and pa rking

&
WARNING Risk of skidding and of an
accident due toshifting down on slippery
ro ad sur faces
If yo u shift down on slippery road sur faces to
inc rease the engine braking ef fect, the drive
wheels may lose traction. #
Do not shift down on slippery road sur‐
fa ces toinc rease the engine braking
ef fect. &
DANG ER Risk of fata l injury due topoi‐
sonous exhaust gases
If th eta ilpipe is bloc ked or suf ficient ventila‐
tion is not possible, poisonous exhaust gases
such as carbon monoxide may enter theve hi‐
cle. This is the case when theve hicle
becomes stuck in sn ow,fo rex ample. #
Keep theta ilpipe and the area around
th eve hicle free from snow when the
engine or thest ationary heater are run‐
ning. #
Open a window on the side of theve hi‐
cle facing away from the wind toensure
an adequate supply of fresh air. &
WARNING Risk of accident due tothe
brake sy stem overheating
If yo u lea veyour foot on the brake pedal
when driving, the brake sy stem may over‐
heat.
This increases the braking dis tance and the
brake sy stem may evenfa il. #
Never use the brake pedal as a foot re st. #
Do not depress the brake pedal and the
accelerator pedal at the same time
while driving. *
NO
TEEngine dama gedue toexcessively
high engine speeds The engine will be damaged if
you drive with
th e engine in theov errevving range. #
Do not drive wi th the engine in theove r‐
re vving range. *
NO
TECausing wearto the brake linings
by permanently depressing the brake
pedal #
Do not permanently depress the brake
pedal while driving. #
Touse braking ef fect of the engine,
shift toa lo werge ar in good time. *
NO
TEDama getothe driv etra in and
engine when pulling away #
Do not warm upthe engine while the
ve hicle is stationar y.Pull away immedi‐
atel y. #
Avoid high engine speeds and driving at
full thro ttle until the engine has reached
its operating temp erature. *
NO
TEDama getothe catalytic con verter
due tonon-combu sted fuel The engine is not
running smo othly and is
misfiring. Driving and parking
19 3

Non-combus
ted fuel may get into the cata‐
lytic con verter. #
Only depress the accelera tor pedal
slightl y. #
Have the cause rectified immediately at
a qu alified specialist workshop. Note
s on driving on salt-treated roads
The braking ef fect is limited on salt-trea ted
ro ads.
Therefore, obse rveth efo llowing no tes:
R due tosalt build-up on the brake disks and
brakepads, the braking dis tance can increase
considerab lyor result in braking only on one
side
R maintain a much greater safe dis tance tothe
ve hicle in front
To remo vesalt build-up:
R brake occasionally while paying attention to
th e tra ffic conditions
R carefully depress the brake pedal at the end
of the journey and when starting the next
journey Note
s on aquaplaning
Aq uaplaning can take place once a cer tain
amount of water has accumulated on thero ad
sur face.
Obser vethefo llowing no tes during heavy precip‐
itation or in conditions in which aquaplaning may
occur:
R reduce speed
R avoid tyre ruts
R avoid sudden steering mo vements
R brake carefully
% Also obser vethe no tes on regular lych ecking
wheels and tyres (/ page 393).
Note s on driving through water on the road
sur face
Wa ter which has entered into theve hicle can
damage the engine, electrics and transmission.
Wa ter can also enter the air intake of the engine
and cause engine damage. Obser
vethefo llowing if you must drive thro ugh
wate r:
R Obser vethe maximum permissible ford ing
dep th (/ page 428).
R Drive at a maximum speed of 10km/h;
wa ter can otherwise enter theve hicle interior
or engine compartment.
R Vehicles tr avelling in front, or oncoming vehi‐
cles, can create waves which may exceed the
maximum permissible dep thofthewa ter.
The braking ef fect of the brakes is reduced af ter
fo rd ing. Brake carefully while paying attention to
th e traf fic conditions until braking po wer has
been fully restored. Note
s on off-road driving &
WARNING Risk of accident if you do not
ke ep toline of fall on inclines
If yo u drive at an angle or turn on an incline,
th eve hicle could slip side ways, tip and roll‐
ove r. 194
Driving and pa rking

#
Alw ays drive on inclines in the line of
fa ll (straight up or down) and do not
turn. &
WARNING Risk offire due toflammable
materials on hot parts of theex haust
sy stem
Flammable material such as lea ves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact
wi th hot parts of theex haust sy stem. #
When driving on unpa vedro ads or off-
ro ad, regular lych eck theve hicle under‐
side. #
Remo vetrapped plants or other flam‐
mable material, in particular. #
Ifth ere is damage, consult a qualified
specialist workshop immediately. When driving off-road, sand, mud and
water or
wate r mixed with oil may getinto the brakes.
This may lead toare duction in braking ef fect or
tot al brake failure as a result of increased wear.
The braking characteristics will vary depending
on the material that has entered the sy stem. Clean
the brakes af ter driving off-road. If you
th en notice reduced braking ef fect or hear
scraping noises, ha vethe brake sy stem checked
at a qualified specialist workshop. Adapt your
driving style to thech anged braking characteris‐
tics.
* NO
TEDama gecaused bydriving over
obs tacles The
vehicle can be damaged by:
R driving up onto high kerbs or unpa ved
ro ads.
R quickly driving over obs tacles su chas
ke rbs, speed bumps or po tholes.
R heavy objects hitting the underbody or
ch assis components. #
Do not drive over obs tacles that could
damage theve hicle. #
Check theve hicle regular lyfor dama ge
during off-road driving. #
Adjust theve hicle speed tosuit the
ro ad sur face conditions. #
Ifth ere is damage, consult a qualified
specialist workshop immediately. +
ENVIRONMENTAL
NOTEEnvironmental
dama gedue tonon-obser vance of pro‐
hibition signs Environmental pr
otection has priority. Treat
nature with respect. #
Be sure toobser veprohibition signs. Checklist before driving off-road
Check
thefo llowing points before driving off-
ro ad:
R Fuel le vel
R Vehicles with a diesel engine: AdBlue ®
le vel
R Engine oil le vel:fill engine oil tothe maxi‐
mum le velto ensure full gradeability
(/ page 360).
R Tyre-change tool kit and spare wheel
R Tyres and wheels Driving and parking
19 5

%
Further information about special all-ter rain
tyres forre trofitting can be ob tained from a
qu alified specialist workshop.
Off-road driving
Re ad this section before driving your vehicle off-
ro ad. Practise bydriving over more gentle off-
ro ad terrain firs t.
R Obse rveth e no tes on the cross-country ABS
(/ page 226).
R If necessar y,select theF orG drive
program (vehicles with an Off-road pac kage)
before driving off-road (/ page 203).
R Before driving off-road, shift the transfer
case totheLO W RANGE off-roadgear (vehi‐
cles with an Offroad pac kage ) (/ page 210).
R Select a vehicle le vel suitable for off-road ter‐
ra in (/ page 265). Toavo id damaging the
ve hicle, make sure there is alw ays suf ficient
ground clearance.
R Alw ayske ep the engine running and in gear
when driving on downhill gradients and
slopes. Obse rveth e no tes on driving in
mountainous terrain. R
Do not drive on unknown terrain that is not
easily visible and stay on mar kedro utes.
R Alw ayske ep the doors and windo wsclosed
while theve hicle is in motion.
R Deactivate Active Dis tance Assi st
DISTRONIC, cruise control and theva riable
limiter.
R Adapt your driving style to thete rrain.
R Do not use the HOLD function on steep
downhill or uphill gradients with slippery or
loose sur faces.
Driving on sand
When driving on sand, also obser vethefo llowing
instructions:
R Select theF drive program.
R Select a higher vehicle le vel.
R Shift toa lo werge ar.
R Drive quickly to overcome thero lling resist‐
ance, otherwise theve hicle may dig itself in.
R Drive in the trac ksofother vehicles if possi‐
ble. Make sure that thefo llowing prerequi‐
sites are me t: -
the tyre ruts are not too deep
- the sand is firm enough
- the ground clearance is suf ficient
Fo rding
Also obser vethefo llowing information when
fo rd ing:
R Drive no fasterthan 10 km/h.
R Obser vethe maximum permissible ford ing
dep th (/ page 428).
R Switch off automatic climate control
(/ page 176).
R Vehicles with stationary heater/ventila‐
tion: switch thest ationary heater/ ventilation
off (/ page 180).
R Ensu rethat a bow wave does not form asyou
drive.
R Do not stop in thewa ter and do not switch
off the engine. Ensure the ECO start/ stop
function is switched off (/ page198).
Driving in mountainous terrain 19 6
Driving and pa rking

Also obser
vethefo llowing information when
driving in moun tainous terrain:
R Obse rveth eva lues of the approach/depar‐
ture angle and of the maximum gradient
(/ page 428).
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Use the braking po wer of the engine when
driving downhill.
R Shift toa lo werge ar on uphill gradients and
on long, steep downhill gradients.
R Activate DSR be fore driving downhill, if nec‐
essary (/ page244).
Checklis t after driving off-road
Driving off-road places grea ter demands on your
ve hicle than driving on no rmalroads. Check the
entire vehicle for dama geand fore ign bodies
eve rytime af ter driving off-road. Foreign bodies
in the wheels or driv etra in can lead toimbalan‐
ces and therefore vibrations.
R Ifth eF orG drive prog ram is selec‐
te d: select ano ther drive prog ram.
R Shift the transfer case tothe on-ro ad posi‐
tion HIGH RANGE. R
Deactivate DSR.
R Lowe rth eve hicle le vel again toa le vel suita‐
ble tothero ad conditions, e.g. tothe normal
le ve l.
R Apply the brakes todry them af terfo rd ing.
R Check that the service brake is working nor‐
mally af ter a long downhill stre tch.
R Clean thefo llowing components everytime
af te r driving off-road:
- licence plate number
- headlamps and tail lamps
- tyres, wheels and wheel ar ches
- underbody
R After driving thro ugh sand, mud, water or
gr ave l, ha vethefo llowing components
ch ecked and cleaned:
- brake disks and brakepads
- tyres and wheels
- axle joints ECO
start/s top function Ope
ration of the ECO start/s top function
% The ECO start/ stop function is not available
in all drive prog rams, depending on the
engine. Obser vethest atus display in the
multifunction display forth is.
The engine is switched off automatically in the
fo llowing situations if all vehicle conditions for
an automatic engine stop are me t:
R you brake theve hicle toast andstill in trans‐
mission position hori.
R vehicles with a 48 V on-board electrical
sy stem: you depress the brake pedal when
tra velling at a low speed.
If th e sy stem has de tected one of thefo llowing
situations, the engine will not stop:
R youstop at a stop sign and there is no vehi‐
cle in front of you.
R theve hicle that stopped in front of youstarts
up again.
R you manoeuv re, turn thesteering wheel
sharply or engage reve rsege ar. Driving and parking
197