MERCEDES-BENZ G-Class 2017 W463 Owner's Manual
Page 141 of 286
HOLD function
General notes
The HOLD function can assist the driverint he
following situations:
Rwhen pulling away, especially on steep slopes
Rwhen maneuvering on steep slopes
Rwhen waiting in traffic
The vehicleisk ept stationary without the driver
having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancele dand the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedaltop ulla way.
Do not use the HOLD function when driving off-
road ,ons teep uphill or downhill gradients or on
slippery or looses urfaces. The HOLD function
cannot hold the vehicleons uch surfaces.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
Rthere is amalfunction in the system or in
the voltag esupply.
Rthe HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator pedalort he brake
pedal, e.g. by avehicleo ccupant.
Rthe electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuse shave
been tampere dwith.
Rthe battery is disconnected
There is arisk of an accident.
If you wis htoexit the vehicle, alway sturn off
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
!When DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD func-
tion is activated, the vehicleb rakes automat-
ically in certain situations.
To avoi ddamage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or similar situations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function (
Ypage1 39).
Activation conditions
You can activate the HOLD function if:
Rthe vehicleiss tationary
Rthe engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function
Rthe driver's door is closed or you rseat belti s
fastened
Rthe parking brake is released
Rthe transmission is in position D,R or N
RDISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated
Activating the HOLD function
XMake sure that the activation conditions are
met.
XDepress the brake pedal.
XQuickly depress the brake pedalf urther until
ë appears in the multifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
If depressing the brake pedalt he first time does
not activate the HOLD function, wai tbriefly and
then try again.
Deactivatin gthe HOLD function
The HOLD function is deactivated automatically
if:
Ryou accelerate and the transmission is in
position Dor R.
Rthe transmission is in position j.
Ryou depress the brake pedalagain withacer-
tain amount of pressure until ëdisap-
pears from the multifunction display.
Ryou activate DISTRONIC PLUS
On steep uphill or downhill gradients or if there
is am alfunction, the transmission may als obe
automatically shifted into position P.
Permanentall-wheel drive
!
Never tow the vehiclew ith one axle raised.
This may damage the transfer case. Damage
of this sort is not covered by the Mercedes-
Benz Limited Warranty. All wheels must
remai neither on the ground or be full yraised.
Observe the instructions for towing the vehi-
cle with all wheels in full contact with the
ground.
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!When testing the parking brake, operate the
vehicle only briefly (for amaximum of ten sec-
onds) on abrake test dynamometer. When
doing this, turn the SmartKey to position 0or
1 in the ignition. Failure to do this can cause
damage to the drive train or the brake system.
!Af unction or performance test should only
be carried out on atwo-axle dynamometer.
Before you operate the vehicle on such a
dynamometer, please consult aqualified
workshop. You could otherwise damage the
drive train or the brake system.
The all-wheel drive system ensures that all four
wheels are permanently driven. The all-wheel
drive system improves vehicle traction together
with ESP
®and 4ETS if adrive wheel spins due to
insufficient grip.
If ad rive wheel spins due to insufficient grip:
ROnly depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
RTake your foot off the accelerator, slowly,
while the vehicle is in motion.
Only when you use winter tires (M+S tires) and, if necessary, snow chains in wintry driving con-
ditions (
Ypage 253). Only in this way can the
maximum effect of all-wheel drive be achieved.
For information on driving off-road, see
(
Ypage 127).
PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes
PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors. It monitors the area around
your vehicle using six sensors in the front
bumper and four sensors in the rear bumper.
PARKTRONIC indicates visually and audibly the
distance between your vehicle and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not areplace-
ment for your attention to your immediate sur-
roundings. You are always responsible for safe
maneuvering, parking and exiting aparking
space. Make sure that there are no persons,
animals or objects in the maneuvering area
while maneuvering and parking in parking
spaces.
!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 other
objects that absorb ultrasonic waves.
Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic car
wash, the compressed-air brakes on
atruck
or ap neumatic drill could cause PARKTRONIC
to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on
uneven terrain.
PARKTRONIC is activated automaticallyw hen
you:
Rswitch on the ignition
Rshift the transmission to position D,Ror N
Rrelease the parking brake
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
11 mph (18 km/h). It is reactivated at lower
speeds.
Range of the sensors
PARKTRONIC does not take objects into con-
sideration that are:
Rbelow the detection range, e.g. people, ani-
mals or objects.
Rabove the detection range, e.g. overhanging
loads, tail sections or loading ramps of goods
vehicles
:Example: sensors in the front bumper, right-
hand side
140Driving systems
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:Approx. 24 in (approx. 60 cm)(corners)
;Approx. 32 in (approx. 80 cm )(corners)
=Approx. 35 in (approx. 90 cm )(center)
?Approx. 40 in (approx. 100 cm )(center)
The sensors must be freef rom dirt, ice or slush.
The ycan otherwise not functio ncorrectly. Clean
the sensors regularly ,taking car enot to scratch
or damage them (
Ypage 234).
Minimu mdistance
CenterApprox. 8in(appr ox. 20 cm)
CornersApprox. 8in(appr ox. 20 cm)
If ther eisano bstacle withint hisrange,t he rel-
evant warning display slight up and awarning
tone sounds. If the distance falls belo wthe min-
imum, the distance maynol ongerbes hown.
Warning displays
Warning display for the front area
:
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 display sshowt he distance
between the sensors and the obstacle .The
warning display for the front area is locate don
the dashboard above the cente rairvents .The
warning display for the rea rareaisl ocate don
the headline rinthe rea rcompartment.
The warning display for each side of the vehicle
is divided into fiv eyello wand two red segments.
PARKTRONICi soperational if yellow segments
showing operational readiness =light up.
The selecte dtransmission positio nand the
direction in which the vehicl eisrolling deter-
mine which warning display is active when the
engine is running.
Transmission posi-
tionWarning display
DFront area activated
R, Nor the vehicl eis
rolling backwardsRear and front areas
activated
PNo area sactivated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle ,depen ding on the vehi-
cle's distance from the obstacle.
From the:
Rsixth segment onwards, yo uwillh ea rani nter-
mittent warning tone for approximatelyt wo
seconds.
Rseventh segment onwards, yo uwillh eara
warning tone for approximatelyt wo seconds.
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This indicates that you have now reached the
minimum distance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC
:Indicator lamp
;Deactivating/activatingPARKTRONIC If indicator lamp
:lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated.
iPARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the SmartKey to position 2in
the ignition lock.
Towing atrailer
PARKTRONIC is deactivated for the rear area
when you establish an electrical connection
between your vehicle and atrailer.
Problems with PARKTRONIC
ProblemPossible causes/consequences and MSolutions
Only the red segmentsin
the PARKTRONIC warn-
ing displaysa re lit. You
also hear awarning tone
for approximately two
seconds.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after afew sec-
onds, and the indicator
lamp in the PARKTRONIC
button lights up.PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has switched off.
XIf problems persist, have PARKTRONIC checked at aqualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Only the red segment sin
the PARKTRONIC warn-
ing displaysa re lit.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after afew sec-
onds.The PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is interference.
XClean the PARKTRONIC sensors (Ypage 234).
XSwitch the ignition back on.
The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or ultra-
sound waves.
XSee if PARKTRONIC functions in adifferent location.
142Driving systems
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Rear viewcamera
General notes
Rear vie wcamera :is an optical parking and
maneuvering aid. It shows the are abehind the
vehicl ewithg uide lines in the multimedi asys-
tem.
The are abehind the vehicl eisdisplayed as a
mirror image, as in the rearv iewm irror.
iThe text shown in the multimedi asystem
depends on the languag esetting. The follow-
ing are examples of rearv iewc amera displays
in the multimedi asystem.
Important safety notes
The rearv iewc amera is only an aid. It is not a
replacement for your attention to your immedi-
ate surroundings. Yo uare always responsible
for safe maneuvering and parking .Makes ure
that there are no persons,a nimalsoro bjects in
the maneuvering are awhile maneuvering and
parking in parking spaces.
Unde rthe following circumstances, the rear
vie wc amera will not function, or will function in
al im ite dm anner:
Rthe reard ooriso pen
Rin heavy rain, snow or fog
Rat nigh torinv ery dark places
Rif the camera is exposed to very bright light
Rif the are aislitby fluorescent bulb sorLED
lighting (the display may flicker)
Rif there is asudde nchange in temperature,
e.g. when driving into aheated garag einwin-
ter
Rif the camera lens is dirty or obstructed
Observe the notes on cleaning
(
Ypage 235)
Rif the rearofy ourv ehicl eisd amaged. In this
case, have the camera position and setting
checke dataq ualified specialist workshop
Activating/deactivatin gthe rear view
camera
XTo activate: make sure that the SmartKey is
in position 2in the ignition lock.
XMake sure that the "Rearv iewc amera" func-
tion is selected in the multimedi asystem (see
Digital Operator's Manual).
XEngag ereverse gear.
The multimedi asystem shows the area
behind the vehicl ewithg uide lines. Sym-
bol :indicates that the "reversep arking"
function is active.
The image from the rearv iewc amera is avail-
able throughout the maneuvering process.
XTo switc hthe functio nmode for vehicles
with trailer tow hitch: using the controller,
select symbol ;for "Coupling up atrailer".
Symbol ;is highlighted.
To deactivate: the rearviewc amera deacti-
vate sify oushift the transmissio ntoP or after
driving forward sashort distance.
Displays in the multimedias ystem
The rearviewc amera may showad istortedv iew
of obstacles, showt hem incorrectlyornot at all.
The rearv iewc amera doe snot showo bjects in
the following positions:
Rvery close to the rearb umper
Runder the rearb umper
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!Objects that are not at ground level appear
further awayt han they actually are, e.g.:
Rthe bumper of aparked vehicle
Rthe drawbarofat railer
Rthe rear end ofatruck
Rap ost sticking up at an angle
Use the guide lines for orientation only. Do
not cross the lower guide line when approach-
ing objects.
:Yellowg uide line at adistance of approx-
imately 13 ft (4.0 m) from the rear of the
vehicle
;White guide line without steering input –
vehicle width including the exterior mirrors
(static)
=Yellowg uide line for the vehicle width
including the exterior mirrors, for current
steering wheel angle (dynamic)
?Yellowl anes marking the course the tires
will take for current steering input (dynamic)
AYellowg uide line at adistance of approx-
imately 3ft(1.0 m) from the rear of the vehi-
cle
BVehicle center axle (marker assistance)
CSpare wheel
DRed guide line at adistance of approximately
12 in (0.30 m)from the rear of the vehicle
The guide lines are shownw hen the transmis-
sion is in position R. The distance specifications only apply to
objects that are at ground level.
:Front warning display
;Additional vehiclei
con: PARKTRONIC meas-
urement operational readiness indicator
=Rea rwarning display
Vehicles with PARKTRONIC: when PARKTRONIC
is operational (
Ypag e140), additiona lmeas-
urement operational readiness indicator ;
appears in the multimedias ystem. If the
PARKTRONIC warning display sare active or
light up, warning displays :and =are also
active or light up correspondinglyint he multi-
medias ystem.
"Coupling up atrailer" function
:Trailer drawbar
This function is only available on vehicles with a
trailer tow hitch.
XBefore coupling up atrailer, set the height of
trailer drawbar :so that it is slightly higher
than the bal lcoupling.
XPosition the vehiclec entrallyinfront of trailer
drawbar :.
144Driving systems
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Page 147 of 286
:Red guide lineatadistanceofapproximately
12 in (0.30m)f romt he ball coupling
;Trailer drawbar marker assistant
=Trailer drawbar
?Symbo lfor the "Coupling up atrailer" func-
tion
iThe trailer tow hitch is not visible in the mul-
timedia systemd isplay,asthe spar ewheel
covers the ball coupling of the trailer tow
hitch.
XSelect symbol ?using the controller.
The "Coupling up atrailer" functio niss elec-
ted .The distance specifications now only
appl ytoo bjects thata reat the same level as
the ball coupling.
XReverse carefully, making sure thatt railer
drawbar locating aid ;points approximately
in the direction of trailer drawbar =.
XReverse carefullyuntiltrailer drawbar =rea-
che sred guid eline:. Do no tdriv ea ny fur-
ther.
The distance between trailer drawbar =and
red guid eline : is now approximately 12 in
(0.3 0m).
XCoupl eupthe trailer (Ypage 151).
180° view
:Symbo lfor the 180° vie wfunction
;Ownv ehicle
=PARKTRONICw arning displays
Yo uc an also us ethe rea rviewc amera to select
a1 80° view.
When PARKTRONICi soperational (
Ypage 140),
as ym bolfor your ow nvehicl eappears in the
multimedia system. If the PARKTRONICw arning
displays ar eactive, warning displays =light up
in the multimedia systeminy elloworr ed
accordingly.
Off-roa ddrivin gsystems
Transferc ase
General notes
The vehicl ehaspermanent all-wheel drive. The
front and rea raxles ar econstantl ydriven.
For furtheri nformation on drivin goff-road, see
(
Ypage 127).
Shift ranges
HIGH
RANGEPositio nfor al lnormal on-
roa ddrivin gconditions
LOWR ANGELow-range positio nfor driving
off-road.
Als ofor us eons teep uphill or
downhil lgradients ,especially
when towing atrailer.
The vehicl etravel saround
half the spee dofon-road driv-
ing range HIGH RANGE .The
tractiv epower is correspond-
ingly higher.
Off-roa ddrivin gsystems145
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Z
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Shifting the transfer case
General notes
:Current shift range
:Indicator lamp
;LOW RANGE button
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you do not wait for the transfer case gear
change process to complete, the transfer
case could remain in the neutral position. The power transmission to the driven wheels is
then interrupted. There is adanger of the
vehicle rolling away unintentionally. There is a
risk of an accident.
Wait until the transfer case shift process is
completed.
Do not switch off the engine while changing gear
and do not shift the automatic transmission to
another gear.
Always wait for the gear change process from
HIGH RANGE toLOW RANGE and fromLOW
RANGE toHIGH RANGE to complete. Do not
switch off the engine while changing gear and do
not shift the automatic transmission to another
gear.
Switching on the off-road gear ratio
!Proceed with the shifting process only
when:
Rthe engine is running
Rthe vehicle is rolling
Rthe automatic transmission is in selector
lever position i
Ryou are not driving faster than 25 mph
(40 km/h)
You could otherwise damage the transfer
case.
XMake sure the ECO start/stop function is
switched off (Ypage 106).
XPress LOW RANGE button ;.
Once the shifting procedure has been com-
pleted, the LOW RANGE
transfer case position
is shown in the multifunction display.
Indicator lamp :lights up.
XShift the automatic transmission to position
D.
Switching off the off-road gear ratio
GWARNING
If you do not wait for the transfer case gear
change process to complete, the transfer
case could remain in the neutral position. The power transmission to the driven wheels is
then interrupted. There is adanger of the
vehicle rolling away unintentionally. There is a
risk of an accident.
Wait until the transfer case shift process is
completed.
!Proceed with the shifting process only
when:
Rthe engine is running
Rthe vehicle is rolling
Rthe automatic transmission is in selector
lever position i
Ryou are not driving faster than 43 mph
(70 km/h)
You could otherwise damage the transfer
case.
XPress button ;.
Once the shifting procedure has been com-
pleted, the HIGH
RANGEtransfer case position
is shown in the multifunction display.
Indicator lamp :goes out.
146Off-road driving systems
Driving and parking
Page 149 of 286
If the shifting procedure is unsuccessful, the
multifunction display may show the following
messages:
RTC Shift Conditions Not Fulfilled
You have not met one or more shift condi-
tions.
RTC NEUTRAL On
The transfer case has canceled the shifting
procedure and is in positionN.
RTC Shift Canceled
The transfer case has canceled the gear
change process.
XCarry out the gear change process again.
Make sure to meet all conditions for changing
gears.
RTC Malfunction Visit Workshop
There is amalfunction in the transfer case.
XDo not shift the transfer case.
XHave the vehicle checked as soon as possible
ataq ualifieds pecialist workshop.
Shifting to neutral
GWARNING
If you do not wai tfor the transfer case gear
change process to complete, the transfer
case could remain in the neutral position. The powert ransmission to the driven wheelsi s
then interrupted. There is adanger of the
vehicle rolling awa yunintentionally .There is a
risk of an accident.
Waitu ntil the transfer case shift process is
completed.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the ignition
lock.
XApply the parking brake.
XDepress the brake pedal.
XShift the automatic transmission to position
N.
XPress and hold LOW RANGE button ;for
approximately ten seconds.
When the shift procedure is complete, the
multifunction display shows the TC
NEUTRALOnmessagefor five seconds.
If the shifting procedure is unsuccessful, the
multifunction display may show the following
messages (
Ypage 179). If the transfer case is in
Neutral,the SmartKey
is in the ignition lock and you open the driver's
door, the TC NEUTRAL On
messagea ppears in
the multifunction display. If you then release the
parking brake, awarning tone wills ound.
Differential locks
General notes
GWARNING
When the differentiall ocks are engaged,ABS,
4ETS, ESP
®and BAS are deactivated. As a
result, the wheelsc ould lock when braking
and the braking distance is increased.T here is
ar isk of an accident.
Disengage the differentiall ocks immediately
on firm surfaces with good grip.
!In order to avoid damage to the transfer
case, you must operate the vehicle on adyna-
mometer (1-axle dynamometer) only if:
Rthe axle not driven on is jacked up
or
Rthe corresponding propeller shaft is dis-
connected and the transfer case differen-
tial lock is engaged.
Otherwise,t he transfer case can be damaged.
Differential locks improve the traction of the
vehicle.
Your vehicle is equipped with adifferentiall ock
each for:
Rthe transfer case: this controls the balance
betweent he front and rear axles.
Rthe rear axle: this controls the balance
betweenthe wheelsont he rear axle.
Rthe front axle: this controls the balance
betweenthe wheelsont he front axle.
Information on differential gear system
and differential lock
When the vehicle drives around acurve, the
wheelsont he outsideoft he curve must cover a
greater distance. Therefore, the wheelst urn
more rapidly than on the inside. The differential,
ag ear system in the drive train, allows for dif-
fering rotational speedsa nd facilitates corner-
ing.
Off-road driving systems147
Driving and parking
Z
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The disadvantage ofadifferential is that the
wheels that have the least grip, get the most
drive. An example: awheel of adriven axle is on
as now-covered surface and therefor edoes not
have any traction. The differential sends most of
the drive force to this wheel because the force
takes the route of the lowest resistance. The
opposite wheel on this axle, however, which
stands on firm ground and could therefor eallow
propulsion, receives no driving power. 4ETS
compensates for this disadvantage. 4ETS pro-
vides good steerability by automatically braking
the spinnin gwheel. 4ETS provides the wheel on
the firm surface with more drive force, which in
turn provides propulsion.
ESP
®and 4ETS are traction systems that are
ideal for road driving and suitable for light off-
road driving. The LOW RANGEoff-road gear
also improves off-road capability.
More challenging off-road conditions require
additional measures such as lockingo ne or
more differential.
Your vehicle is equipped with three differential
locks:
Rfor the transfer case
Rfor the front axle
Rfor the rear axle
Each differential lock can be engaged with the
corresponding switch on the center console. If
the differential in the transfer case is locked, the
front and rear wheels rotateatt he same speed.
If the differential for the rear axle is locked, both
rear wheels rotateatt he same speed, regard-
less of their respective torque. Note, engaging
the differential lock greatly impairs the vehicle's
steerability.
Note, it is imperative to use the differential func-
tion when driving on firm road surfaces. Under
no circumstances should the differential be
locked when driving on firm road surfaces. Oth-
erwise, the vehicle may not be steerable and you
could lose control of the vehicle. Therefore, only
engage the differential lock when driving off-
road. You should only engage the differential
lock if activatin g4ETS and ESP
®driving systems
and LOW RANGE off-road gear prove to be
insufficient.
Engaging the differential locks
General notes
The switches are located on the center console.
:Function indicator lamps (red)
;Differential lock for the front axle
=Differential lock for the transfer case
?Differential lock for the rear axle
AActivation indicator lamps (yellow)
Engage the differential locks:
Roff-road
Rto deactivate ABS,4 ETS,ESP®and BAS while
off-road
Rwhen fording
For further information on driving off-road, see
(
Ypage 127).
You can engage the differential locks in the fol-
lowing order: =,?,;.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When differential locks are engaged on afirm,
high-grip surface, the vehicle's steerability is
greatly impaired. In particular, engaging the
differential locks when cornering could lead
to you losing control of the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Disengage the differential locks immediately
on firm surfaces with good grip.
GWARNING
When the differential locks are engaged, ABS, 4ETS ,ESP
®and BAS are deactivated. As a
result, the wheels could lock when braking
and the braking distance is increased. There is
ar isk of an accident.
148Off-road driving systems
Driving and parking