MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS 2018 Owner's Manual

XWhen gearshift recommendation:appears
on the multifunction display, pull the right-
hand steering wheel paddle shifter
(
Ypage 116).
The automatic transmission shifts to recom-
mended gear ;.
Downshifting
XPull the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter (Ypage 116).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
If you slow down or stop without shifting down, the automatic transmission automatically shifts
down.
Selecting the optimal gear for maxi-
mum acceleration
XPull the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter until the transmission selects the opti-
mum gear according to the speed.
Switching off the manual drive program
XAll vehicles (except Mercedes ‑AMG vehi-
cles): press the program selector button
repeatedly until Eor Sis shown in the multi-
function display.
XMercedes‑AMG vehicles: press the program
selector button repeatedly until Cor Sis
shown in the multifunction display.
Problems with the automatic transmission
ProblemPossible causes/consequences and MSolutions
The transmission has
problems shifting gear.The transmission is losing oil.
XHave the transmission checked at a qualified specialist workshop
immediately.
The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no lon-
ger changes gear.The transmission is in emergency mode.
It is only possible to shift intosecondgear and reverse gear.
XStop the vehicle.
XShift the transmission to position j.
XTurn the SmartKey to positiongin the ignition lock.
XWait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine.
XShift the transmission to position hork.
If h is selected, the transmission shifts to secondgear; ifkis
selected, the transmission shifts to reverse gear.
XHave the transmission checked at a qualified specialist workshop
immediately.
You hear a warning tone.You have:
Rswitched off the engine
Ropened the driver's door
Rnot shifted the selector lever to position j
XShift the selector lever to positionj.
Automatic transmission119
Driving and parking
Z

Refueling
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. If you handle fuel
incorrectly, there is a risk of fire and explo-
sion.
You must avoid fire, open flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Switch off the engine
and, if applicable, the auxiliary heating before refueling.
GWARNING
Fuel is poisonous and hazardous to health.
There is a risk of injury.
You must make sure that fuel does not come into contact with your skin, eyes or clothing
and that it is not swallowed. Do not inhale fuel
vapors. Keep fuel away from children.
If you or others come into contact with fuel,
observe the following:
RWash away fuel from skin immediately
using soap and water.
RIf fuel comes into contact with your eyes,
immediately rinse them thoroughly with
clean water. Seek medical assistance with-
out delay.
RIf fuel is swallowed, seek medical assis-
tance without delay. Do not induce vomit-
ing.
RImmediately change out of clothing which
has come into contact with fuel.
GWARNING
Electrostatic buildup can create sparks and
ignite fuel vapors. There is a risk of fire and
explosion.
Always touch the vehicle body before opening
the fuel filler flap or touching the fuel pump
nozzle. Any existing electrostatic buildup is
thereby discharged.
Do not get into the vehicle again during the refu-
eling process. otherwise electrostatic charge
could build up again.
!Do not use diesel to refuel vehicles with a
gasoline engine. Do not switch on the ignition
if you accidentally refuel with the wrong fuel.
Otherwise, the fuel will enter the fuel system. Even small amounts of the wrong fuel could
result in damage to the fuel system and the
engine. Notify a qualified specialist workshop
and have the fuel tank and fuel lines drained
completely.
!Overfilling the fuel tank could damage the
fuel system.
!Take care not to spill any fuel on painted
surfaces. You could otherwise damage the
paintwork.
!Use a filter when adding fuel from a fuel can.
The fuel lines and/or the fuel injection system
could otherwise be blocked by particles from
the fuel can.
If you overfill the fuel tank, fuel could spray out
when the fuel pump nozzle is removed.
For further information on fuel and fuel quality
(
Ypage 283).
Refueling
General information
Pay attention to the important safety notes
(Ypage 120).
If you unlock/lock the vehicle from the outside,
the fuel filler flap also unlocks/locks.
The position of the fuel filler cap is displayed in
the instrument cluster 8. The arrow next to
the filling pump indicates the side of the vehicle.
Opening the fuel filler flap
:To open the fuel filler flap
;Tire pressure table
120Refueling
Driving and parking

=Instruction label for fuel type to be refueled
?To insert the fuel filler cap
XSwitch off the engine.
XRemove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
XPress the fuel filler flap in the direction of
arrow:.
The fuel filler flap swings up.
XTurn the fuel filler cap counterclockwise and
remove it.
XInsert the fuel filler cap into the holder
bracket on the inside of filler flap ?.
XCompletely insert the filler neck of the fuel
pump nozzle into the tank and refuel.
XOnly fill the tank until the pump nozzle
switches off.
Do not add any more fuel after the pump stops
filling for the first time. Otherwise, fuel may leak
out.
Closing the fuel filler flap
XReplace the cap on the filler neck and turn
clockwise until it engages audibly.
XClose the fuel filler flap.
Close the fuel filler flap before locking the vehi-
cle.
If you are driving with the fuel filler cap open, the
8 reserve fuel warning lamp flashes. A mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display
(
Ypage 183).
Fuel filler flap emergency release
The emergency release is located in the cargo
compartment, on the right-hand side when
viewed in the direction of travel, behind the rear
panel trim.
XOpen the rear door.
XPull off edge protection ;.
XRemove rear wall trim:.
XPull emergency release =in the direction of
the arrow.
The fuel filler flap is unlocked.
XOpen the fuel filler flap (Ypage 120).
Refueling121
Driving and parking
Z

Problems with the fuel and fuel tank
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
Fuel is leaking from the
vehicle.GWARNING
The fuel line or the fuel tank is defective.
There is a risk of fire or explosion.
XApply the parking brake.
XSwitch off the engine.
XRemove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
XDo not restart the engine under any circumstances.
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The fuel filler flap cannot
be opened.The fuel filler flap is not unlocked.
XUnlock the vehicle (Ypage 63).
XOpen the rear door.
XManually unlock the fuel filler flap using the emergency release
(Ypage 121).
The SmartKey battery is discharged or nearly discharged.
XUnlock the vehicle using the mechanical key (Ypage 64).
The fuel filler flap is unlocked, but the opening mechanism is jammed.
XManually unlock the fuel filler flap using the emergency release
(Ypage 121).
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
Parking
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with
hot parts of the exhaust system or exhaust
gas flow. There is a risk of fire.
Park the vehicle so that no flammable mate-
rials come into contact with parts of the vehi-
cle which are hot. Take particular care not to
park on dry grassland or harvested grain
fields.
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
Rstart the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. 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 unsupervised in the vehicle.
122Parking
Driving and parking

To ensure that the vehicle is safeguarded
against rolling away unintentionally:
Rthe parking brake must be applied.
Rthe transmission must be in positionPand the
SmartKey must be removed from the ignition
lock
Rthe transfer case must not be in the neutral
position
Rthe front wheels must be turned towards the
curb on steep uphill or downhill gradients
Rthe empty vehicle must be secured at the
front axle with a wheel chock or similar
object, for example, on uphill or downhill gra-
dients
Ra laden vehicle must also be secured at the
rear axle with a wheel chock or similar object, for example, on uphill or downhill gradients
Switching off the engine
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
XShift the automatic transmission to position
j.
XTurn the SmartKey to position gin the igni-
tion lock and remove it.
The immobilizer is activated.
XApply the parking brake firmly.
XTurn the steering wheel until the steering
wheel lock engages.
If you switch the engine off with the transmis-
sion in position korh the automatic trans-
mission shifts to iautomatically.
If you then open the driver's door or the front-
passenger door or remove the SmartKey from
the ignition, the automatic transmission shifts
to j automatically.
If you switch off the engine while the transmis-
sion is in position i, the automatic transmis-
sion remains in ieven if a door is opened. The
automatic transmission only automatically shifts into
jwhen you remove the SmartKey
from the ignition lock.
Parking brake
GWARNING
If you must brake the vehicle with the parking brake, the braking distance is considerably
longer and the wheels could lock. There is an
increased danger of skidding and accidents.
Only use the parking brake to brake the vehi-
cle when the service brake is faulty. Do not
apply the parking brake too firmly. If the
wheels lock, release the parking brake until
the wheels begin turning again.
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
Rstart the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. 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 unsupervised in the vehicle.
If you brake the vehicle with the parking brake,
the brake lamps will not light up.
If you pull away with the parking brake applied,
a warning tone sounds.
Parking123
Driving and parking
Z

XTo apply:pull parking brake lever ;up
firmly.
When the ignition is switched on, the F
(USA only) or J(Canada only) indicator
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
XTo release: pull parking brake lever ;
slightly.
XPress release button :and guide parking
brake ;down to the stop.
The F (USA only) or J(Canada only)
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster goes
out.
The vehicle can also be braked during an emer-
gency by using the parking brake.
XTo brake in an emergency: press and hold
release button :and carefully pull parking
brake lever ;upwards.
If you drive on wet roads or dirt-covered surfa-
ces, road salt and/or dirt could get into the
parking brake.
In order to prevent corrosion and a reduction in
the braking power of the parking brake, observe
the following:
Rpull the parking brake up with release but-
ton :depressed from time to time before
beginning a journey
Rdrive for approximately 110 yds (100 m) at a
maximum speed of 12 mph (20 km/h)
Parking the vehicle for a long period
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than
four weeks, the battery may be damaged by
exhaustive discharging.
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than six
weeks, the vehicle may suffer damage as a
result of lack of use.
XVisit a qualified specialist workshop and seek
advice.
iYou can obtain information about trickle
chargers from a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Driving tips
General driving tips
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect, for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
GWARNING
If you operate mobile communication equip-
ment when driving, you may be distracted
from the traffic situation. You could also lose
control of the vehicle. There is a risk of an
accident.
Only operate this equipment when the vehicle
is stationary.
Observe the legal requirements for the country
in which you are driving. Some jurisdictions pro-
hibit the driver from using a mobile phone while driving a vehicle.
If you make a call while driving, always use
hands-free mode. Only operate the telephone
when the traffic situation permits. If you are
unsure, pull over to a safe location and stop
before operating the telephone.
Bear in mind that at a speed of only 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), the vehicle covers a
distance of 44 ft (approximately 14 m)per sec-
ond.
Drive sensibly – save fuel
Observe the following tips to save fuel:
XThe tires should always be inflated to the rec-
ommended tire pressure.
XRemove unnecessary loads.
XRemove roof carriers when they are not nee-
ded.
XWarm up the engine at low engine speeds.
124Driving tips
Driving and parking

XAvoid frequent acceleration or braking.
XHave all service and maintenance work car-
ried out at the specified intervals.
Fuel consumption also increases when driving in
cold weather, in stop-start traffic and in hilly ter-
rain.
Drinking and driving
GWARNING
Drinking and driving and/or taking drugs and driving are very dangerous combinations.
Even a small amount of alcohol or drugs can
affect your reflexes, perceptions and judg-
ment.
The possibility of a serious or even fatal acci-
dent is greatly increased when you drink or
take drugs and drive.
Do not drink or take drugs and drive or allow
anyone to drive who has been drinking or tak-
ing drugs.
Emission control
GWARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There
is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces with-
out sufficient ventilation.
Certain engine systems are designed to keep
the level of poisonous components in exhaust
fumes within legal limits.
These systems only work at peak efficiency if
they are serviced exactly in accordance with the
manufacturer's specifications. Always have
work on the engine carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop. Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you use an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center for this purpose. In particular, work
relevant to safety or on safety-related systems
must be carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop.
The engine settings must not be changed under any circumstances. Furthermore, all specific
service work must be carried out at regular
intervals and in accordance with the Mercedes-
Benz service requirements. You can obtain cur- rent information concerning the servicing of
your vehicle at any time from a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This could be an overview of
the
maintena
nce work or any additional main-
tenance work, for example.
Braking
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
GWARNING
If you select the LOW RANGE off-road gear on
a slippery road surface, the wheels could lose traction:
Rif you remove your foot from the accelera-
tor pedal when driving
Rif off road ABS intervenes when braking
If the wheels lose traction. the vehicle can no
longer be steered. There is an increased dan-
ger of skidding and accidents.
Never select the LOW RANGE off-road gear
when driving on slippery road surfaces.
Information on the parking brake (
Ypage 123).
Downhill gradients
!On long and steep gradients, you must
reduce the load on the brakes by shifting to a
lower gear in good time. This allows you to
take advantage of the engine's braking effect.
This helps you to avoid overheating the
brakes and wearing them out excessively.
When you take advantage of engine braking, a
drive wheel may not turn for some time, e.g.
on a slippery road surface. This could cause
damage to the drive train. This type of damage
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz war-
ranty.
Driving tips125
Driving an d parking
Z

This also applies if cruise control or DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated.
Heavy and light loads
GWARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
!Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately. Drive
on for a short while. This allows the airflow to
cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads
If driving in heavy rain for a prolonged period of
time without braking, there may be a delayed
reaction from the brakes when braking for the
first time. This may also occur after the vehicle
has been washed.
You have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance from the
vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehicle
washed, brake firmly while paying attention to
the traffic conditions. This will warm up the
brake discs, thereby drying them more quickly
and protecting them against corrosion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
If you drive on salted roads, a layer of salt resi-
due may form on the brake discs and brake
pads. This can result in a significantly longer
braking distance.
RIn order to prevent any salt build-up, apply the
brakes occasionally while paying attention to
the traffic conditions.
RCarefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey.
RMaintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes
!The brake fluid level may be too low, if:
Rif the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster and
Ryou hear a warning tone while the engine is
running
Observe additional warning messages in the
multifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to
brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immediately. Consult a qualified specialist workshop to
arrange this.
!If the brake warning lamp lights up in the
instrument cluster and you hear a warning
tone even though the parking brake has been released, the brake fluid level may be too low.
Observe additional warning messages in the
multifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to
brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immediately. This work should be carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop.
!A function or performance test should only
be carried out on a 2-axle dynamometer. If
you wish to operate the vehicle on such a
dynamometer, please consult a qualified spe-
cialist workshop in advance. You could oth-
erwise damage the drive train or the brake
system.
!The ESP®system operates automatically. If
the parking brake is tested on a brake dyna-
mometer (for a maximum of ten seconds), the
engine and the ignition must be switched off.
Braking triggered automatically by ESP
®may
otherwise cause severe damage to the brake
system.
All checks and maintenance work on the brake
system must be carried out at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
126Driving tips
Driving and parking

Have brake pads installed and brake fluid
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If the brake system has only been subject to
moderate loads, you should test the functional-
ity of your brakes at regular intervals.
Information on BAS (Brake Assist) (
Ypage 59).
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends only installing the following brake disks
and brake pads/linings:
Rbrake disks that have been approved by
Mercedes-Benz
Rbrake pads/linings that have been approved
by Mercedes-Benz or that are of an equivalent
standard of quality
Other brake disks or brake pads/linings can
compromise the safety of your vehicle.
Always replace all brake disks and brake pads/ linings on an axle at the same time. Always
install new brake pads/linings when replacing
brake disks.
The vehicle is equipped with lightweight brake
disks to which the wheel assembly with rim and
threaded connection is matched.
The use of brake discs other than those
approved by Mercedes-Benz may alter track
width and is subject to approval, if applicable.
Shock-type loads when handling the brake
discs, such as when changing wheels, can lead
to a reduction in comfort when driving with light- weight brake discs. Avoid shock-type loads on
the lightweight brake disks, particularly on the
brake plate.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only use
brake fluid that has been specially approved for
your vehicl
e by Mercedes-Benz, or which corre-
sponds to an equivalent quality standard. Brake
fluid which has not been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which is not of an
equivalent quality could affect your vehicle's
operating safety.
High-performance brake (Mercedes-
AMG vehicles)
The AMG brake systems are designed for heavy
loads. This may lead to noise when braking.
This will depend on:
RSpeed
RBraking force
RAmbient conditions, e.g. temperature and
humidity The wear of individual brake system compo-
nents such as the brake pads/linings or brake
discs depends on individual driving style and
operating conditions.
For this reason, it is impossible to state a mile-
age that will be valid under all circumstances. An
aggressive driving style will lead to high wear.
You can obtain more information on this from a
qualified specialist workshop.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after several
hundred kilometers of driving. Compensate for
this by applying greater force to the brake pedal.
Keep this in mind, and adapt your driving and
braking accordingly during this break-in period.
Excessive heavy braking results in correspond-
ingly high brake wear. If the brake pads/linings
have reached their wear limit, the multifunction
display shows a corresponding message. Espe-
cially for high performance driving, it is impor-
tant to maintain and have the brake system
checked regularly.
Driving on slippery surfaces
!
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery roads.
You could otherwise damage the drive train.
This type of damage is not covered by the
terms of the Mercedes-Benz warranty.
XEngage the differential locks if necessary
(Ypage 151).
Driving on wet roads
Hydroplaning
If water has accumulated to a certain depth on
the road surface, there is a danger of hydro-
planing occurring, even if:
Ryou drive at low speeds
Rthe tires have adequate tread depth
For this reason, in the event of heavy rain or in
conditions in which hydroplaning may occur,
you must drive in the following manner:
Rlower your speed
Ravoid ruts
Ravoid sudden steering movements
Rbrake carefully
Driving tips127
Driving and parking
Z

Drivingon flooded road s
!Do notdrive through floode dareas. Chec k
th edept hof any water befor edrivin gthrough
it .Drive slowly through standin gwater. Oth-
erwise ,water may ente rth evehicle interio ror
th eengin ecompartment. Thi scan damage
th eelectronic component sin th eengin eor
th eautomatic transmission. Water can also
be drawn in by th eengine's air suction nozzles
and this can cause engin edamage.
If you hav eto drive on stretches of road on whic h
water has collected, please bear in min dthat :
Rin th ecas eof standin gwater, th ewater level
mus tbe no higher than th elowe redg eof th e
vehicle bod y
Ryou should drive no faste rthan walkin gpac e
Off-road fording
!Under no circumstances should you accel-
erate befor eenterin gth ewater. The bow
wave could cause water to ente rand damage
th eengin eand other assemblies .
!Do notope nany of th evehicle' sdoors whil e
fording .Otherwise ,water could get into th e
vehicle interio rand damage th evehicle' s
electronic sand interio requipment.
iYou may only drive through fresh water.
RObserv eth esafet ynote s (Ypage 129) and
genera lnote s (Ypage 130) on drivin goff-
road.
REstablis hhow dee pth ewater is and th echar-
acteristic sof th ebod yof water befor eford-
ing.
RSwitc hof fautomatic climat econtro l
RShift th etransfe rcas eto th eoff-road drivin g
position LOW RANGE (Ypage 149).
REngage thedifferential locks if necessary
(Ypage 151).
RAvoid hig hengin espeeds .
REnterand exit th ewater at afla tplac eand at
a steady walkin gpace.
RDrive slowly and at an eve nspeed through th e
water.
REnsur ethat abow wave doe sno tform as you
drive.
RDo no tstop and do no tswitch of fth eengine.
Water offers ahig hdegree of resistance, and
th egroun dis slipper yand i
n som
ecases unstable. Therefore, it is difficult and danger
-
ous to pull away in water.
RClean any mud from th etire tread after ford-
ing.
RApply th ebrake sto dry them after fording .
Always observ eth efording dept hvalues
(
Ypage 290).
Winte rdrivin g
GWARNING
If you shift down on aslipper yroad surfac ein
an attempt to increase th eengine's braking
effect ,th edrive wheels could los etheir grip.
There is an increase ddanger of skidding and
accidents .
Do no tshift down fo radditional engin ebrak-
in g on aslipper yroad surface.
GWARNING
If you selec tth eLO WRANGE off-road gear on
a slipper yroad surface, th ewheels could los e
traction :
Rif you remov eyour foot from th eaccelera-
to rpeda lwhen drivin g
Rif offroad AB Sintervenes when braking
If th ewheels los etraction .th evehicle can no
longer be steered. There is an increase ddan -
ger of skidding and accidents .
Never selec tth eLO WRANGE off-road gear
when drivin gon slipper yroad surfaces.
Hav eyour vehicle winter-proofed at aqualified
specialis tworkshop at th eonset of winter.
Drive particularly carefully on slipper yroad sur -
faces. Avoid sudden acceleration ,steerin gand
braking maneuvers .Do no tuse cruise contro lor
DISTRONIC PLUS.
If th evehicle threatens to skid or canno tbe
stopped when movin gat low speed:
XShift th eautomatic transmissio nto position
i .
The outsid etemperature indicator is no t
designed to serve as an ice-warnin gdevic eand
is therefore unsuitable fo rthat purpose.
Changes in th eoutsid etemperature are dis -
playe dafter ashort delay.
128Driving tips
Driving and parking