MERCEDES-BENZ G-Class 2012 W463 Owner's Manual

independent of their respective torques.
Keep
in
mind that by engaging the differential
locks, vehicle steerability is severely
restricted.
For your own safety, the safety of others and
to prevent damage to your vehicle, the
differential locks must not be activated on
paved roads. Keep in mind that when driving
on firm road surfaces, the function of the
differentials is necessary and therefore they
must never be locked on firm road surfaces.
The steerability of the vehicle would
otherwise be lost and steering would no
longer be possible. For this reason, the
differential locks must be engaged
exclusively during off-road driving, and only
when activating the other driving systems
(4ETS, ESP ®
and LOW range off-road gear) is
no longer sufficient.
Activating the differential lock General information
G
WARNING
Never drive on firm road surfaces with
differential locks engaged. Never drive on
narrow bends

with front-axle differential locks
engaged. With differential locks engaged, the
vehicle's ability to steer is severely restricted
and the danger of accidents is therefore
higher.
Do not engage or disengage differential locks
while driving on a bend. The vehicle may
otherwise make a jerking movement. You
could thus lose control of the vehicle and
cause an accident.
If you select a differential lock, ABS, 4ETS,
ESP ®
and BAS will be deactivated.
Activate the differential locks:
R off-road
R to deactivate ABS, 4ETS, ESP ®
and BAS
while off-road
R when fording
For further information on driving off-road,
see ( Y page 134). 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
A
Activation indicator lamps (yellow)
!
Only activate the differential locks when:
R you are driving at walking pace.
R the driven wheels are not spinning.
R you are

not driving on a firm road surface.
i You can only engage the differential locks
when the transfer case is in LOW range off-
road gear (Y page 145).
i You can activate the differential locks in
the following order =, ?, ;.
Differential lock for the transfer case
X To engage: switch the transfer case to off-
road gear LOW

(Y page 145).
X Press switch =.
The yellow activation indicator lamp under
switch = lights

up when the transfer case
is in off-road gear LOW.
The å warning lamp in the instrument
panel lights up.
The red function indicator lamp above
switch = lights up when the differential is
locked.
In the multifunction display you see the: Off-road driving systems
149
Driving and parking Z

ABS not available Differential
Locked message.
The
å!÷ warning
lamps light up
in the instrument cluster.
The differential lock for the transfer case is
engaged.
4ETS, ESP ®
, BAS and ABS are deactivated.
The vehicle's ability to steer is severely
restricted. Drive carefully and accelerate
gently for optimum traction.
i You can now engage differential lock for
the rear

axle ? and differential lock for the
front axle ; as desired.
Differential lock for the rear axle
X To engage: press switch ?.
First, the yellow activation indicator lamp
lights up, followed by the red function
indicator lamp.
The differential lock for the rear axle is
engaged.
Differential lock for the front axle
X To engage: press switch ;.
First, the yellow activation indicator lamp
lights up, followed by the red function
indicator lamp.
The differential lock for the front axle is
engaged.
Deactivating the differential lock You can deactivate the differential locks in
the reverse order: ;, ?, =.
X
To simultaneously deactivate all
differential locks: press switch =.
Yellow activation indicator lamps A go
out. Red

function indicator lamps : go out
once the differential locks have
disengaged.
After approximately three seconds of
normal driving, ABS, 4ETS, ESP ®
and BAS
are activated.
The ABS not available Differential
Locked message disappears from the multifunction display and the
å, !
and ÷ warning

lamps in the instrument
cluster go out.
X Switch the transfer case to road gear
HIGH(Y page 145).
i If red function indicator lamps : do not
go out

when you disengage the differential
locks, bring the vehicle to a stop, while
paying attention to road and traffic
conditions, then begin driving again. The
load change can disengage the differential
locks. G
WARNING
Always remember to disengage the
differential locks when returning to drive on
paved roads, see "A few words about
differentials and differential locks". 150
Off-road driving systems
Driving and parking

Useful information ............................
152
Important safety notes ....................152
Displays and operation .................... 152
Menus and submenus ...................... 155
Display messages ............................. 165
Warning and
indicator lamps in the
instrument cluster ............................178 151
On-board computer and displays

Useful information
i This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional
equipment of your vehicle available at the
time of publication of the Operator's
Manual. Country-specific differences are
possible. Please
note that your vehicle may
not be equipped with all features
described. This also applies to safety-
related systems and functions.
i Please read the information on qualified
specialist workshops (Y page 20). Important safety notes
You will find an illustration of the instrument
cluster in the "At a glance" section
(
Y page 25).
G
WARNING
A driver's attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his/her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others,
selecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when

traffic and road conditions permit
it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h ), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximately
14 m) every second. G
WARNING
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction
display is inoperative.
As a result, you will not be able to see
information about your driving conditions,
such as
R speed
R outside temperature
R warning/indicator lamps R
malfunction/warning messages
R failure of any systems
Driving characteristics may be impaired.
If you

must continue to drive, do so with added
caution. Contact an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center as soon as possible. G
WARNING
Malfunction and warning messages are only
displayed for certain systems and are
intentionally not very detailed. The
malfunction and warning messages are
simply a reminder with respect to the
operation of certain systems. They do not
replace the owner's and/or driver's
responsibility to maintain the vehicle's
operating safety. Have all required
maintenance services and safety checks
performed on

the vehicle. Bring the vehicle to
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center to
address the malfunction and warning
messages. Displays and operation
Tachometer
The red

band in the tachometer indicates the
engine's overrevving range.
! Do not drive in the overrevving range, as
this could damage the engine.
The fuel supply is interrupted to protect the
engine when the red band is reached. Displaying the coolant temperature
G
WARNING
Driving when your engine is overheated can
cause some

fluids which may have leaked into
the engine compartment to catch fire. You
could be seriously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can cause
serious burns which can occur just by opening 152
Displays and operation
On-board computer and displays

the engine hood. Stay away from the engine
if you see or hear steam coming from it.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location away from
other
traffic.
Turn off the engine, get out of the
vehicle and do not stand near the vehicle until
the engine has cooled down.
The coolant temperature gauge is in the
instrument cluster on the left-hand side.
Under normal driving conditions, with the
correct anti-corrosion and antifreeze additive
concentration, the reading may rise to
248 ‡(120 †).
! If the coolant temperature exceeds
248 ‡(120 †) do not continue driving. The
engine will otherwise be damaged. Outside temperature display
The outside temperature display is in the
multifunction display (Y

page 154).G
WARNING
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the
freezing point

do not guarantee that the road
surface is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.
Changes in the outside temperature are
displayed after a short delay. Operating the on-board computer
The on-board computer is activated as soon
as you

turn the SmartKey to position 1 in the
ignition lock.
You can control the multifunction display and
the settings in the on-board computer using
the buttons on the multifunction steering
wheel. :
Multifunction display
;
WX
Selects submenus in the

Settings
menu
Changes values
Adjusts the volume =
~
Rejects or ends a call
Exits phone book/redial memory
6
Makes or accepts a call
Switches to the redial memory
?
VU
Selects a menu: scrolls back and
forth Displays and operation
153
On-board computer and displays Z

A
&*
Press briefly:
Scrolls
back
and forth within a menu
In the Audio menu: selects a stored
station, an audio track or a video
scene
In the Telephone menu: switches to
the phone book and selects a name
or a telephone number &*
Press and hold:
In the
Audio menu: selects the
previous/next station or selects an
audio track using rapid scrolling
In the Telephone menu: starts rapid
scrolling through the phone book Multifunction display
To activate the multifunction display:
R switch on the ignition.
R switch on the lights.
R open the door.
R press the reset button on the instrument
cluster.
The multifunction display shows you values
and settings as well as possible messages. :
Display area for menus or submenus
; Status bar with outside temperature or
speed ( Y page 159)
= Transfer case position
? Selector lever position/shift range For further information on displaying the
transmission position, see (
Y page 120).154
Displays and operation
On-board computer and displays

Menus and submenus
Overview of menus
The number of menus shown depends on the optional equipment in the vehicle. Function
:
Standard display
menu ( Y page 156)
R tire pressure monitor (Y page 249)
R service interval display ( Y

page 215)
R G 55 AMG: oil level (Y page 211) ;
Audio
menu (
Y page 156)
=
Navigation menu (Y page 158)
?
Message memory
9
menu ( Y page 165)
A
Settings menu (Y page 158)
B
Trip computer
menu ( Y page 162)
C
Telephone
menu ( Y page 163)
9
The menu is only visible when there is a display message. Menus and submenus
155
On-board computer and displays Z

Standard display menu
Standard display X
Press the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the standard
display. Standard display
:
Trip odometer
; Odometer
You can select the following functions in the
Standard display menu using the & or
* button:
R tire pressure monitor (Y page 249)
R digital speedometer or outside
temperature ( Y page 156)
R Service display (Y

page 215)
R G 55 AMG: oil level ( Y page 211)
X To reset the trip odometer: press and
hold the reset button in the instrument
cluster until the trip odometer is reset.
Displaying the digital speedometer or
outside temperature If you have selected the digital speedometer
as the status line (
Y
page 159), the outside
temperature is displayed here 10
. G
WARNING
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose. Indicated temperatures just above the
freezing
point

do not guarantee that the road
surface is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges. Digital speedometer (example)
Outside temperature (example)
X
Press the
V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the standard
display.
X Press the & or * button on the
steering to select digital speedometer :
or the outside temperature. Audio menu
Selecting a radio station i
SIRIUS XM satellite radio acts like a
normal radio.
For more information on satellite radio
operation, see the separate operating
instructions.
10 Vehicles for the United Kingdom: the outside temperature is always displayed.156
Menus and submenus
On-board computer and displays

You can only change the waveband and store
new stations using COMAND.
X
Switch on COMAND and select Radio (see
the separate operating instructions).
X Press the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the Audio menu. :
Waveband
; Current station
X To select a stored station: briefly press
the & or * button.
X To select a station from the station
list: press and briefly hold the & or
* button.
X To select a station using station
search 11
: press and briefly hold the &
or * button.
Operating audio devices or media X
Switch on COMAND and select the audio
device or medium (see the separate
operating instructions).
X Press the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the Audio menu. COMAND display (example)
:
Current CD (for CD/DVD changer)
; Current track
X To select the next/previous track:
briefly press the & or * button.
X To select a track from the track list
(rapid scrolling):
press and briefly hold the
& or * button.
The current track does not appear in audio
AUX mode (Auxiliary audio mode: external
audio source connected).
Video DVD operation X
Switch on COMAND and select video DVD
(see the separate operating instructions).
X Press the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the Audio menu. DVD changer display (example)
:
Current DVD (for DVD changer)
; Current scene
11 Only if no station list is received. Menus and submenus
157On-board computer and displays Z

X
Press the & or * button to select a
scene. Navigation system menu
Displaying navigation instructions In the
Navigation menu: the instructions
from the navigation system appear in the
multifunction display. For more information,
see the separate operating instructions.
X Switch on COMAND (see the separate
operating instructions).
X Press the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the Navigation
menu.
Route guidance inactive The direction of travel appears in the
multifunction display. If the name of the
street is part of the navigation system data,
this will also be displayed.
Route guidance active
The multifunction display shows navigation
instructions, for example: Settings menu
Introduction In the
Settings menu, you have the following
options:
R restoring the factory settings
R changing the instrument cluster settings
R changing the light settings
R changing the vehicle settings
R changing the convenience settings
Resetting to factory settings For safety reasons, not all functions are reset:
the Headlamp mode function in the
Lighting
submenu

is only reset if the vehicle
is stationary. 158
Menus and submenus
On-board computer and displays