trailer MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV 2020 Owners Manual

1
#! Turn signal lights →
15 8
2 ï Trailer hit ch →
493
3 6 Restra int sy stem →
492
4 å ESP®
OFF →
502
÷ ESP®
→
502
5 R Rear fog light →
157
6 K High beam →
15 8
L Low beam →
15 6
T Standing lights →
15 6
7 ÿ Coolant temp erature →
495
8 Coolant temp erature display →
305
9 ! Electric pa rking brake (yellow) →
498
A J Brakes (yellow) →
498
B L Distance warning →
500 C
# Electrical fault →
495
D Ù Powe rst eering →
493
E ! ABS →
502
F h Tyre pressure monitoring sy stem →
504
G % Diesel engine: preglow
H 8 Reser vefuel with fuel filler flap location
indicator →
495
I Fuel le vel →
305
J ! Electric parking brake (red) →
498
K J Brakes (red) →
498
L ü Seat belt →
492
M ; Engine diagnostics →
495
N ä Suspension (red) →
500
ä Suspension (yell ow) →
500 At
aglance – Indicator and warning lamps 11

If an accident did not occur,
the pre-em ptive
measures that we retake n are reve rsed.
Sy stem limits
The sy stem will not initiate any action in thefo l‐
lowing situations:
R when reve rsing
or
R when theve hicle is towing a trailer and there
is a risk of a rear impact
The sy stem will not initiate any braking applica‐
tion in thefo llowing situations:
R whilst driving
or
R when entering or exiting a parking space
while using Active Parking Assist Fu
nction of PRE-SAFE ®
Impulse Side If an imminent side impact is de
tected, PRE-
SA FE®
Impulse Side can pre-emptively mo vethe
front seat vehicle occupant's upper body
to wa rdsth e cent reoftheve hicle. It does this by ra
pidly inflating an air cushion in the outer seat
side bols ter of the seat backrest on the side on
which the impact is anticipated. This increases
th e dis tance between the door and theve hicle
occupant.
If PRE-SAFE ®
Impulse Side has been deplo yed or
is faulty, thePRE-SAFE impulse side inoperative
See Owner's Manual( /page 434) display mes‐
sage appears. Au
tomatic measures af ter an accident
Depending on the type and se verity of the acci‐
dent, and depending on theve hicle's equipment,
th efo llowing measures can be implemen ted, for
ex ample:
R automatic braking (post-collision brake)
R activating the hazard warning lights
R triggering an automatic emer gency call
(/ page 344)
R switching off the engine
To restart theve hicle, switch the ignition off
and switch it back on (/ page188).
Depending on the type and se verity of the accident, it is possible
that theve hicle can
no longer be star ted.
R switching off the fuel supply
R unlocking theve hicle doors
R lowe ring the side windo ws
R displaying the emer gency guide in the multi‐
media sy stem display
R switching on the interior lighting
Fu nction of the post-collision brake
Depending on the accident situation, the post-
collision brake can minimise the se verity of a fur‐
th er collision or even avo id it.
If an accident is de tected, the post-collision
brake can implement automatic braking. When
th eve hicle has come toast andstill, the electric
parking brake is automatically applied.
The driver can cancel automatic braking bytak‐
ing thefo llowing actions:
R braking more stronglythan automatic brak‐
ing
R fully depressing the accelera tor pedal with
fo rce 54
Occupant saf ety

The
tailgate can open or close unin tentionally in
th efo llowing situations:
R A person's arms or legs are moving in the
sensor de tection range, e.g. when polishing
th eve hicle or picking up objects.
R Objects are mo ved or placed behind theve hi‐
cle, e.g. tensioning stra ps or luggage.
R Clamping stra ps, tarp aulins or other co ver‐
ings are pulled overth e bumper.
R A pr otective mat with a length reaching over
th e boot sill down into the de tection range of
th e sensors is used.
R The pr otective mat is not secured cor rectly.
R Workis being done on the trailer hitch, trail‐
ers or rear bicycle rack s.
Deactivate theke y functions (/ page 79) or do
not car rytheke y about your person in such sit‐
uations. Limiting
the opening angle of the tailgate Ac
tivating the opening angle limiter
Yo u can limit the opening angle of theta ilgate in
th eto p half of its opening range up toappr ox‐
imately 20 cm before the end position. #
Stop the opening procedure of theta ilgate at
th e desired position. #
Press and hold the closing button on theta il‐
ga te until you hear a sho rtacoustic signal.
The opening angle limiter will be activated.
The tailgate will then stop in thestored posi‐
tion when opened.
To open thetai lgate full y,pull the handle on the
outside of theta ilgate again af ter it has stopped
automaticall y.
Deactivating the opening angle limiter #
Press and hold the closing button on theta il‐
ga te until two sho rtacoustic signals sound. Re
leasing the tailgate in an emer gency Re
quirements:
R Only for Mercedes-Maybach vehicles. #
Remo vecover1. Opening and closing
91

Gearshifting
#
Toshift up: pullsteering wheel gearshift
paddle 2. #
Toshift down: pullsteering wheel gearshift
paddle 1. Gea
rshift recommendation The
gearshift recommendation assists you in
adopting an economical driving style. #
Ifth ege arshift recommendation 1appea rs
next tothe transmission position displa y,
shift tothere commended gear. Using kickd
own #
Maximum acceleration: depressthe accel‐
erator pedal be yond the pressure point.
To protect against engine overrev ,th e automatic
transmission shifts up tothe next gear when
maximum engine speed has been reached. Glide mode function
*
NO
TEMercedes-AMG vehicles #
Obser vethe no tes in the Supplement.
Yo u could otherwise failto recognise
dangers. %
Mercedes-Maybach vehicles: the Glide
mode function is not available.
Wi th an anticipatory driving style, Glide mode
helps youto reduce fuel consum ption.
Glide mode is characterised bythefo llowing:
R the combustion engine is disconnected from
th e driv etra in and continues torun in neutral. R
the transmission position display his
shown in green.
R vehicles with 48 V on-board electrical
sy stem (EQ-Boost technology): the com‐
bustion engine can be switched off. All of the
ve hicle functions remain active.
Glide mode is activated if thefo llowing condi‐
tions are me t:
R drive program ;is selected.
R the speed is within a suitable range.
R thero ad's course is suitable, e.g. no steep
uphill or downhill inclines or tight bends.
R there is no trailer hitched up tothe trailer
hitch, and no bicycle rack fitted.
R you do not depress the accelera tor or brake
pedal (e xcept for light brake applications).
% Glide mode can also be activated if you ha ve
selected the "Eco" setting forth e drive in the
drive prog ram =.
Glide mode is deactivated again if one of the
conditions is no longer met. 208
Driving and pa rking

%
The radar sensors are integ rated behind the
bumpers and/or behind the Mercedes star.
1 Cameras in the outside mir rors
2 Multifunction camera
3 Front camera
4 Ultrasonic sensors
5 Reversing camera &
WARNING Risk of accident due to
re stricted de tection per form ance of vehi‐
cle sensors and cameras
If th e area around vehicle sensors or cam‐
eras is co vered, damaged or dirty, cer tain
driving and saf ety sy stems cann otfunction
cor rectly. The reis a risk of an accident. #
Keep the area around vehicle sensors
or cameras clear of any obstructions
and clean. #
Have damage tothe bumper, radiator
grille or stone chipping in the area of
th e front and rear wind owsrepaired at
a qu alified specialist workshop. Pa
rticular ly,ke ep the areas around the sensors
and cameras free of dirt, ice or slush
(/ page 369). The sensors and cameras may
not be co vered and the de tection ranges around
th em must be kept free. Do not attach additional
license pla tebrac kets, ad vertisements, sticke rs,
fo ils or foils toprotect against stone chippings in
th e de tection range of the sensors and cameras. Make sure
that there are no overhanging loads
pr otru ding into the de tection range.
If th ere is damage toa bumper or thera diator
grille, or af ter an impact, ha vethe function of
th e sensors checked at a qualified specialist
wo rkshop. Ha vedamage or stone chipping in the
area of the cameras on the front and rear win‐
do ws repaired at a qualified specialist workshop. Overview of driving sy
stems and driving
saf ety sy stems R
ABS (Anti-lo ckBra king System)
(/ page 226)
R Off-road ABS (/ page 226)
R BAS (Bra keAssist System) (/ page 227)
R ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program)
(/ page 227)
R ESP ®
Crosswind Assist (/ page 228)
R ESP ®
trailer stabilisation (/ page 228)
R EBD (Electronic Brakeforc eDistribution)
(/ page 230)
R STEER CONTROL (/ page 230) Driving and parking
225

R
HOLD function (/ page 230)
R Hill Start Assist (/ page 231)
R Adaptive Brake Lights (/ page 231)
R Start-off assist
R ATTENTION ASSIST (/ page 232)
R Cruise contro l (/page 233)
R Limiter (/ page 234)
R Traf fic Sign Assi st (/ page 255)
R Speed Limit Assist (count ry-dependent)
(/ page 253)
R AIRMATIC (/ page 262)
R E-AC TIVE BODY CONTROL (/ page 269)
R Trailer Manoeuv ring Assi st (/ page 293)
Driving Assistance pac kage
The following functions are part of the Driving
Assis tance Package. Cer tain functions are only
av ailable in some countries. Some functions are
also available without the Driving Assis tance
Pa ckage, albeit with restricted functionality.
R Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC
(/ page 236) R
Active Speed Limit Assi st(countr y-depend‐
ent) (/ page241)
R Route-based speed adap tation (countr y-
dependent) (/ page242)
R DSR (Dow nhillSpeed Regulation)
(/ page 244)
R Active Brake Assi st (/ page 248)
R Active Steering Assist (count ry-dependent)
(/ page 246)
R Active Emergency Stop Assist (countr y-
dependent) (/ page248)
R Active Stop-and-Go Assist (countr y-depend‐
ent) (/ page243)
R Blind Spot Assist and Active Blind Spot Assi st
with exitwa rning (/ page 257)
R Active Lane Keeping Assist (/ page 260)
Pa rking Package
R Reversing camera (/ page277)
R 360° Camera ( /page 280)
R Parking Assist PARKTRONIC ( /page 283)
R Active Parking Assist (/ page 288) Fu
nction of ABS The Anti-lock Brake Sy
stem (ABS) regulates the
brake pressure in critical driving situations:
R During braking, e.g. at full brake application
or insuf ficient tyre traction, the wheels are
pr eve nted from lo cking.
R Vehicle steerability while braking is ensured.
If ABS inter venes when braking, you will feel a
pulsing in the brake pedal. The pulsating brake
pedal can be an indication of hazardous road
conditions and can ser veas a reminder totake
ex tra care while driving. Fu
nctions of Off-road ABS %
Off-road ABS is activated automatically when
you select theF orG drive program.
Off-road ABS is specially adap tedfo r driving off-
ro ad:
R The front wheels lock cyclically during brak‐
ing.
R The braking dis tance is sho rtened due tothe
digging-in ef fect. 226
Driving and pa rking

R
Only depress the accelera tor pedal as far as
is necessary when pulling away.
It can be advantageous todeactivate ESP ®
in the
fo llowing situations toimpr ovetraction:
R When using snow chains.
R In deep sn ow.
R On sand or gr avel.
% Spinning the wheels results in a cutting
action, which enhances traction.
If th e÷ ESP®
wa rning lamp lights up continu‐
ousl y,ESP ®
is not available due toa malfunction.
Obse rveth efo llowing information:
R Indicator and warning lamps (/ page 490)
R Display messages (/ page 433)
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction Sy stem)
ETS/4E TStraction control is pa rtof ESP ®
and
makes it possible topull away and accelerate on
a slippe rycar riag ewa y.
If yo u select theF orG drive prog ram, a
special ETS sy stem specifically suited tooff-road
te rrain is automatically activated. ETS/4E
TScan impr ovetheve hicle's traction by
inter vening in thefo llowing ways:
R The drive wheels are braked individually if
they spin.
R More drive torque is transferred tothe wheel
or wheels with traction.
Influence of drive prog rams on ESP ®
The drive programs enable ESP ®
to adapt todif‐
fe re nt we ather and road conditions as well as
th e driver's prefer red driving style. Depending on
th e selected drive prog ram, the appropriate
ESP ®
mode will be activated. You can select the
drive programs using theDY NA MIC SELECT
switch (/ page 203). Fu
nction of ESP ®
Crosswind Assist ESP
®
Crosswind Assist de tects sudden gu sts of
side wind and helps the driver tokeep theve hi‐
cle in the lane:
R ESP ®
Crosswind Assist is active at vehicle
speeds between appr ox.75 km/h and 200 km/h when driving
stra ight ahead or
cornering slight ly.
R The vehicle is stabilised bymeans of individ‐
ual brake application on one side. Fu
nction of ESP ®
trailer stabilisation &
WARNING Risk of accident in poor road
and weather conditions
In poor road and weather conditions, the
trailer stabilisation cannot pr event lu rching of
th eve hicle/trailer combination. Trailers with
a high centre of gr avity may tip over before
ESP ®
de tects this. #
Alw ays adapt your driving style to suit
th e cur rent road and weather condi‐
tions. When driving with a trailer, ESP
®
can stabilise
yo ur vehicle if the trailer begins toswer vefrom
side toside:
R ESP ®
trailer stabilisation is active abo ve
speeds of 65 km/h. 228
Driving and parking

R
Slight swerving is reduced bymeans of a tar‐
ge ted, individual brake application on one
side.
R Intheeve nt of se vere swerving, the engine
output is also reduced and all wheels are
braked.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation may be impaired or
may not function if:
R The trailer is not connec ted cor rectly or is
not de tected prope rly by theve hicle. Ac
tivating/deactivating ESP ®
(Electronic Sta‐
bility Prog ram) (vehicles without Off-road
pac kage) Multimedia sy
stem:
4 © 5
Settings 5
Quick access
% ESP®
can only be activated/deactivated
using quick access when at least one other
function is available in quick access. ESP ®
can otherwise be found in theAssistance
menu. *
NO
TEMercedes-AMG vehicles #
Obser vethe no tes in the Supplement.
Yo u could otherwise failto recognise
dangers. #
Select ESP. #
Select Onorå Off.
ESP ®
is deactivated if theå ESP®
OFF warn‐
ing lamp lights up continuously in the instrument
clus ter.
Obser vethe information on warning lamps and
display messages which may be shown in the
instrument clus ter. Ac
tivating/deactivating ESP ®
(Electronic Sta‐
bility Prog ram) (vehicles with Off-road pack‐
age or E- Active Body Control) *
NO
TEMercedes-AMG vehicles #
Obser vethe no tes in the Supplement.
Yo u could otherwise failto recognise
dangers. #
Pull rock er switch 1.
ESP ®
is deactivated if theå ESP®
OFF warn‐
ing lamp lights up continuously in the instrument
clus ter.
Obser vethe information on warning lamps and
display messages which may be shown in the
instrument clus ter. Driving and pa
rking 229

#
Select Owith th e left rock er switch.
% Ifyo u brake, deactivate ESP ®
or if ESP ®
inter venes, Active Dis tance Assi st
DISTRONIC is deacti vated.
Increasing/decreasing thesto red speed #
1 km/h: press rocker switch 1upM or
down Ntothe pressure point, or press
and hold (increments of 1 km/h).
or #
10km/h: press rock er switch 1upM or
down Nbeyond the pressure point, or
press and hold (increments of 10km/h).
or #
Accelerate theve hicle tothe desired speed
and press rocker switch 1upM.
Changing the specified distance totheve hi‐
cle in front #
Toreduce the speci fied distance: press
th eright rock er switch up (Ñ). #
Toincrease the specified distance: press
th eright rock er switch down (Ò). Fu
nction of Active Speed Limit Assi st
If speed limit change between 20 km/h and
13 0 km/h is de tected and the automatic adop‐
tion of speed limits is active, it will be automati‐
cally adop ted as thestored speed
(/ page 256).
The driven speed is adjus ted when theve hicle is
le ve l with the traf fic sign at the latest. In the
case of signs indicating entry into an urban area,
th e speed is adap ted according tothe speed
permitted within the urban area. The speed limit
display in the Instrument Display is alw ays upda‐
te d when theve hicle is le vel with the tra ffic sign.
If th ere is no speed restriction on an unlimi ted
st re tch of road (e.g. on a mo torw ay),th ere com‐
mended speed is au tomatical lyadop ted as the
st ored speed. The sy stem uses the speed stored
on an unlimited stre tch of road as there com‐
mended speed. If you do not alter thestored
speed on an unlimited stre tch of road, there c‐
ommended speed is 130 km/h.
If Ac tive Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC has been
put into passi vemode bypressing the accelera‐
to r pedal, only speed limits which are higher
th an the set speed are adop ted. Obser
vethe no tes on driving sy stems and your
re sponsibility; you may otherwise failto recog‐
nise dangers (/ page 224).
Sy stem limits
The sy stem limits of Traf fic Sign Assi stapply to
th e de tection of traf fic signs (/ page 255).
Speed limits bel ow20 km/h are not auto mati‐
cally adop tedby the sy stem as thestored speed.
Te mp orary speed restrictions (e.g. for a cer tain
time or due towe ather conditions) cannot be
proper ly detected bythe sy stem. The maximum
permissible speed applying toave hicle with a
trailer is not de tected bythe sy stem.
Ad just the speed in these situations. &
WARNING Risk of accident due toActive
Speed Limit Assi stadapting theve hicle's
speed
The speed adop tedby Active Speed Limit
Assi stmay be too high or incor rect in some
individual cases, su chas:
R at speed limits below 20 km/h Driving and parking
241

R
inwe t conditions or in fog
R when towing a trailer #
Ensure that the driven speed complies
with traf fic re gulations. #
Adjust the driving speed tosuit cur rent
traf fic and weather conditions. Fu
nction of route-based speed adaptation
When Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC is acti‐
va ted, theve hicle speed will be adap ted accord‐
ingly tothero ute events ahead. Depending on
th e drive prog ram selected, theve hicle negoti‐
ates a route event ahead in an economical, com‐
fo rtable or dynamic manner. When thero ute
eve nt has been passed, theve hicle accelerates
again tothestored speed. The set dis tance to
th eve hicle in front, vehicles de tected ahead and
speed restrictions ahead are take n into account.
Yo u can activate and deactivate route-based
speed adap tation in the multimedia sy stem
(/ page 243). The
following route events are take n into
account:
R Bends
R T-junctions, roundabouts and tollst ations
R Turns and exits
R Traf fic jams ahead (only wi thLive Traf fic
Information )
% When theto llst ation is reached, Active Dis‐
ta nce Assi stDISTRONIC adopts the speed as
th estored speed.
Also, the speed is reduced if the turn signal indi‐
cator tochange lanes is swit ched on and one of
th efo llowing situations is de tected:
R Turning off at junctions
R Driving on slowing-down lanes
R Driving on lanes adjacent toslowing-down
lanes
The driver is responsible forch oosing theright
speed and observing other road users. This
applies in particular tojunctions, roundabouts
and traf fic lights, as route-based speed adap ta‐
tion does not brake theve hicle toast andstill. When
route guidance is active, thefirs t speed
adjustment is car ried out automatically. If the
turn signal indica tor is switched on, the selected
ro ute is confirmed and fur ther speed adjustment
is activated.
Speed adap tation is cancelled in thefo llowing
cases:
R Ifth e turn signal indicator is switched off
before thero ute event.
R Ifth e driver depresses the accelerator or
brake pedal during the process.
Sy stem limits
Ro ute-based speed adap tation does not take
ri ght of wayre gulations into account. The driver
is responsible for complying with road traf fic
re gulations and driving at a suitable speed.
The speed adap tation made bythe sy stem may
not alw ays be suitable, particular lyin thefo llow‐
ing situations:
R thero ad's course not clear lyvisible
R road nar rowing
R varying maximum permissible speeds in indi‐
vidual lanes 242
Driving and pa rking