The hood release on the Mercedes GL-Class catches a lot of owners off guard — the handle is hidden under the dash and there’s a second safety catch at the front edge of the hood. This shows both, plus where the jump-start terminal sits once the hood is open.
- Open the door and look under the dash, low and to the left near the kick panel.
- Pull the red handle. The hood releases and pops up to the safety catch.
- Go to the front of the vehicle and reach under the center of the hood’s front edge.
- Release the secondary catch lever while lifting the hood.
- Raise the hood fully and let the struts take the weight.
Worth knowing on this chassis: the main battery is under the front passenger seat, not under the hood. That’s why Mercedes puts a dedicated jump-start post in the engine bay under a red (+) cover. Use that post for the positive clamp and put the negative clamp on the ground stud next to it — never run the negative back to a battery terminal.