2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS SUV Owner’s Manual

The 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS SUV is a full-size SUV that is both elegant and practical. It is plush and has a lot of space. As the GL-Class’s replacement, the GLS has a sleek design, the latest technology, and three rows of seats that can be set up in different ways to easily fit up to seven people. It has a variety of powerful engines under the hood, which give it great speed and make it easy to drive. The GLS has a lot of safety features and high-tech amenities, like an easy-to-use infotainment system, high-quality materials all over the inside, and a variety of driver aid systems. The 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS SUV is for people who want luxury, room, and versatility in a high-end family car. It has a strong presence on the road and is known for its luxurious and refined driving experience.

Overview of climate control systems

General notes
Observe the settings recommended on the following pages. The windows could otherwise fog up.
To prevent the windows from fogging up:

• switch off climate control only briefly
• switch on air-recirculation mode only briefly
• switch on the cooling with air dehumidification function
• switch on the defrost windshield function briefly, if required
  Climate control regulates the temperature and humidity in the vehicle interior and filters undesirable substances out of the air.
  The residual heat function can only be activated or deactivated with the ignition switched off (Y page 133).
  Ventilate the vehicle for a brief period during warm weather, e.g. using the convenience opening feature (Y page 87).
  This will speed up the cooling process and the desired interior temperature will be reached more quickly.
  If you start the engine using your smartphone, the last selected climate control setting is reactivated (Y page 140).

The integrated filter filters out most particles of dust and soot and completely filters out pollen. It also reduces gaseous pollutants and odors. A clogged filter reduces the amount of air supplied to the vehicle interior. For this reason, you should always observe the interval for replacing the filter, which is specified in the Maintenance Booklet. As it depends on environmental conditions, e.g. heavy air pollution, the interval may be shorter than stated in the Maintenance Booklet.
Vehicles with AIR-BALANCE package: in addition to ionization, the vehicle has an air filter with anti-allergenic properties that contribute to improved air filtration.
It is possible that under certain circumstances the residual heat function may be activated automatically an hour after the SmartKey has been removed in order to dry the automatic climate control. The vehicle is then ventilated for 30 minutes.

Control panel for dual-zone automatic climate control

Front control panel

1. Sets the temperature, left (page 131)
2. Defrosts the windshield (page 132)
3. Switches the maximum cooling MAX COOL on or off (page 132)
4. Switches cooling with air dehumidification on/off (page 130)
5. Switches the rear window defroster on/off (page 133)
6. Sets the temperature, right (page 131)
7. Switches air-recirculation mode on/off (page 133)
8. Sets the air distribution (page 131)
9. Increases the airflow (page 131)
10. Reduces the airflow (page 131)
11. Activates/deactivates climate control (page 129)
12. Sets climate control to automatic (page 130)

Setting climate control to automatic

General notes
In automatic mode, the set temperature is maintained automatically at a constant level. The system automatically regulates the temperature of the dispensed air, the airflow and the air distribution.
The “Cooling with air dehumidification” function is activated automatically in automatic mode.
In the rear compartment, you can also switch climate control for the rear seats to automatic mode using theÃbutton.

Automatic control 

• Turn the SmartKey to position 2 in the ignition lock (page 138).
• Set the desired temperature.
• To activate: press the Auto button.
  The indicator lamp in the Auto button lights up. Automatic air distribution and airflow are activated.

Setting the temperature
Dual-zone automatic climate control

Different temperatures can be set for the driver’s and front-passenger sides.
Turn the SmartKey to position 2 in the ignition lock (page 138).
To increase or decrease: turn control 1 or 6  B counter-clockwise or clockwise ( page 123).
Only change the temperature setting in small increments. Start at 72 ‡ (22 †).

Setting the air vents

Important safety notes
WARNING Very hot or very cold air can flow from the air vents. This could result in burns or frostbite in the immediate vicinity of the air vents. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that all vehicle occupants always maintain a sufficient distance to the air outlets. If necessary, redirect the airflow to another area of the vehicle interior.
In order to ensure the direct flow of fresh air through the air vents into the vehicle interior, please observe the following notes:

• keep the air inlet grille on the hood and in the engine compartment on the front-passenger side free of blockages, such as ice, snow or leaves.
• never cover the air vents or air intake grilles in the vehicle interior.
  For virtually draft-free ventilation, adjust the sliders of the air vents to the center position.

Setting the center air vents

1. Center air vent, left
2. Center air vent, right
3. Center vent thumbwheel, right
4. Center vent thum bwheel, left
5. To open or close: turn thumbwheels 3 and 4 to the left or right.

Setting the side air vents

1. Side window defroster vent
2. Side air vent, left
3. Thumbwheel for side air vent
4. To open or close: turn thum bwheel 3 up or down.

Setting the glove box air vent
Close the air vent when heating the vehicle. At high outside temperatures, open the air vent and activate the “cooling with air dehu-midification” function. Otherwise, tempera-ture-sensitive items stored in the glove box could be damaged.

Setting the rear-compartment air vents
Setting the center vents in the rear compartment
Example: center vents with rear control panel

1. Rear-compartment air vent thumbwheel
2. Rear-compartment air vent, right
3. Rear control panel
4. Rear-compartment air vent, left
5. To open or close:turn thumbwheel 1 up or down.

DYNAMIC SELECT controller

Use the DYNAMIC SELECT controller to change the drive program. Depending on the drive program selected the following vehicle characteristics will change:

• the drive (engine and transmission management)
• the transmission
• the suspension
• the steering
• the availability of the ECO start/stop function
  Each time you start the engine with the Smart-Key or the Start/Stop button, the Comfort drive program is activated. For further information about starting the engine, see (Y page 139).

All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehicles): turn the DYNAMIC SELECT controller as many times as necessary until the desired drive program is selected.
The selected drive program appears in the multifunction display. After five seconds the display goes out.
In addition, the current drive program settings are displayed in the multimedia system display.

Further information on:

• the Individual, Sport, Comfort and Slippery drive programs (page 149)
• the Offroad drive program (vehicles without Off-Road Engineering package) (page 217)
  the Offroad and Offroad Plus drive programs (vehicles with Off-Road Engineering package) (page 218)

Mercedes-AMG vehicles: turn the DYNAMIC SELECT controller as many times as necessary until the desired drive program is selected.
The selected drive program appears in the multifunction display. After five seconds the display goes out.
In addition, the current drive program settings are displayed in the multimedia system dis-play.

Engaging park position P automatically
Park position P is automatically engaged if:

• you switch off the engine using the SmartKey and remove the SmartKey
• you switch off the engine using the SmartKey or using the Start/Stop button and open the driver’s door or front-passenger door
• the driver’s door is opened when the vehicle is stationary or driving at very low speed and the transmission is in position D or R
  Under certain conditions, the automatic transmission shifts automatically to transmission position P if the HOLD function or Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is activated. Observe the information on the HOLD function (Y page 185) and on Distance Pilot DISTRONIC (Y page 177).

Engaging reverse gear R 
Only shift the automatic transmission to R when the vehicle is stationary.

• If the transmission is in position D or N: push the DIRECT SELECT lever up past the first point of resistance.
• If the transmission is in position P: depress the brake pedal and push the DIRECT SELECT lever up past the first point of resistance.

Shifting to neutral N

WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle, they could:

• open the doors, thus endangering other people or road users.
• get out and disrupt traffic.
• operate the vehicle’s equipment. Additionally, children could set the vehicle in motion if, for example, they:
• release the parking brake.
• shifting the automatic transmission out of park position P
• Start the engine.
  There is a risk of an accident and injury. When leaving the vehicle, always take the SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave children or animals unattended in the vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of reach of children.

If you switch the engine off with the transmission in position R or D, the automatic transmission shifts to N automatically.
With the SmartKey: if you then open the driv-er’s door or the front-passenger door or remove the SmartKey from the ignition, the automatic transmission shifts to P automatically.
With the Start/Stop button: if you then open the driver’s door or the front-passenger door, the automatic transmission shifts to P automatically.
If you want the automatic transmission to remain in neutral N, e.g. when having the vehicle cleaned in an automatic car wash with a towing system:

Using the SmartKey:

• Switch on the ignition.
• Depress the brake pedal and keep it depressed.
• Shift to neutral N.
• Release the brake pedal.
• Release the electric parking brake.
• Switch off the ignition and leave the SmartKey in the ignition lock.
  With the Start/Stop button:
• Remove the Start/Stop button from the ignition lock.
• Insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock. X Switch on the ignition.
• Depress the brake pedal and keep it depressed.
• Shift to neutral N.
• Release the brake pedal.
• Release the electric parking brake.
• Switch off the ignition and leave the SmartKey in the ignition lock.

FAQ