steering MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS 2018 User Guide

lamp lights up again after the six seconds. As
soon as the driver's and front-passenger seat
belts are fastened or a front door is opened
again, the7seat belt warning lamp goes out.
If the driver's seat belt is not fastened after the
engine is started, an additional warning tone will
sound. The warning tone switches off after six
seconds or once the driver's seat belt is fas-
tened.
If the vehicle's speed exceeds 15 mph
(25 km/h) once and the driver's and front-
passenger seat belts are not fastened, a warning
tone sounds. A warning tone also sounds with
increasing intensity for 60 seconds or until the
driver or front passenger have fastened their
seat belts.
If the driver or front passenger unfasten their
seat belts during the journey, the seat belt warn-
ing is activated again.
Air bags
Introduction
The installation point of an air bag can be rec-
ognized by the AIRBAG marking.
An air bag complements the correctly fastened
seat belt. It is no substitute for the seat belt. The
air bag provides additional protection in appli-
cable accident situations.
Not all air bags are deployed in an accident. The
different air bag systems function independ-
ently from one another (
Ypage 47).
However, no system available today can com-
pletely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
It is also not possible to rule out a risk of injury
caused by an air bag due to the high speed at
which the air bag must be deployed.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you do not sit in the correct seat position,
the air bag cannot protect as intended and
could even cause additional injury when
deployed. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
To avoid hazardous situations, always make
sure that all of the vehicle's occupants:
Rhave fastened their seat belts correctly,
including pregnant women
Rare sitting correctly and maintain the great-
est possible distance to the air bags
Rfollow the following instructions
Always make sure that there are no objects
between the air bag and the vehicle's occu-
pants.
RAdjust the seats properly before beginning
your journey. Always make sure that the seat
is in an almost upright position. The center of
the head restraint must support the head at
about eye level.
RMove the driver's and front-passenger seats
as far back as possible. The driver's seat posi-
tion must allow the vehicle to be driven safely.
ROnly hold the steering wheel on the outside.
This allows the air bag to be fully deployed.
RAlways lean against the backrest while driv-
ing. Do not lean forward or lean against the
door or side window. You may otherwise be in
the deployment area of the air bags.
RAlways keep your feet in the footwell in front
of the seat. Do not put your feet on the dash-
board, for example. Your feet may otherwise
be in the deployment area of the air bag.
RFor this reason, always secure persons less
than 5 ft (1.50 m) tall in suitable restraint sys-
tems. Up to this height, the seat belt cannot
be worn correctly.
If a child is traveling in your vehicle, also
observe the following notes:
RAlways secure children under twelve years of
age and less than 5 ft (1.50 m)tall in suitable
child restraint systems.
RChild restraint systems should be installed on
the rear seats.
ROnly secure a child in a rearward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat
when the front-passenger front air bag is
deactivated. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp is permanently lit, the front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated
(
Ypage 39).
RAlways observe the instructions and safety
notes on "Children in the vehicle"
(
Ypage 50) and on the "Child restraint sys-
44Occupant safety
Safety

Automa tic measures after an acci-
dent
Immediately after an accident, th efollowin g
measures are implemented, depending on th e
typ eand severity of th eimpact :
Rthehazard warning lamp sare activated
Rth eemergenc ylighting is activated
Rth evehicl edoor sare unlocke d
Rthefron tside windows are lowered
Rth eelectrically adjustable steering whee lis
raised when th edriver's door is opened
Rth eengin eis switched off and th efuel supply
is cut off
Rvehicles wit hmbrace :automatic emergenc y
call
Children in the vehicle
Import ant safety notes
Acciden tstatistics sho wthat children secured
in th erear seat sare safer than children secured
in th efront-passenger seat .Fo rthis reason ,
Mercedes-Benz strongly advises that you instal l
a child restrain tsystem on arear seat .Children
are generally bette rprotected there .
If achild younger than twelve years old and
under 5ft (1.50 m) in height is traveling in th e
vehicle:
Ralways secure th echild in achild restrain t
system suitable for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
The child restrain tsystem mus tbe appropri-
ate to th eage, weigh tand siz eof th echild
Rbe sur eto observ eth einstruction sand safet y
note sin this section in addition to th echild
restrain tsystem manufacturer' sinstallation
instruction s
GWARNING
If you leav echildren unsupervised in th evehi-
cle ,they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease th eparking brake.
Rshif tth eautomatic transmission out of th e
parking position P.
Rstart theengine.
In addition ,they may operate vehicl eequip -
men tand become trapped .There is aris kof
an acciden tand injury.
When leaving th evehicle, always tak eth e
SmartKey wit hyou and loc kth evehicle. Never
leav echildren unsupervised in th evehicle.
GWARNIN G
If persons, particularly children are subjecte d
to prolonged exposure to extreme heat or
cold, there is aris kof injury, possibl yeve n
fatal. Never leav echildren unattended in th e
vehicle.
GWARNIN G
If th echild restrain tsystem is subjecte dto
direc tsunlight, part smay get ver yhot .Chil-
dre nmay burn themselves on these parts,
particularly on th emetal part sof th echild
restrain tsystem. There is aris kof injury.
If you leav eth evehicle, taking th echild wit h
you, always ensur ethat th echild restrain t
system is no texposed to direc tsunlight. Pro -
tect it wit h ablanket, for example. If th echild
restrain tsystem has been exposed to direc t
sunlight, let it cool down before securin gth e
child in it .Never leav echildren unattended in
th evehicle.
Always ensur ethat all vehicl eoccupant shav e
their seat belt sfastene dcorrectl yand are sitting
properly. Particular attention mus tbe paid to
children .
Observ eth esafet ynote son th eseat belt
(
Ypage 40 )and the notes on correct use of seat
belts (Ypage 41).
A booster seat may be necessary to achieve
proper seat belt positioning for children over
41 lb s(18 kg) until they reach a height where a
three-point seat belt can be properly fastened
without a booster seat.
Special seatbelt retractor
GWARNING
If the seat belt is released while driving, the
child restraint system will no longer be
secured properly. The special seat belt retrac- tor is disabled and the inertia real draws in a
portion of the seat belt. The seat belt cannot
50Children in the vehicle
Safety

As a result, they could:
Ractivate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
Ractivate or deactivate systems, thereby
endangering other road users
Unsecured animals could also be flung around
the vehicle in the event of an accident or sud-
den steering or braking, thereby injuring vehi- cle occupants. There is a risk of an accident
and injury.
Never leave animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Always secure animals properly during
the journey, e.g. use a suitable animal trans-
port box.
Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
RABS ( Anti-lock Braking System)
(Ypage 58)
RBAS ( Brake Assist System) (Ypage 59)
RESP®(E lectronic StabilityProgram)
(Ypage 59)
REBD ( Electronic Brake force Distribution)
(Ypage 61)
RADAPTIVE BRAKE (Ypage 61)
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you are
inattentive, the driving safety systems can nei-
ther reduce the risk of an accident nor override
the laws of physics. Driving safety systems are
merely aids designed to assist driving. You are
responsible for maintaining the distance to the
vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good time, and for staying in lane. Always adapt
your driving style to suit the prevailing road and weather conditions and maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
The driving safety systems described only work as effectively as possible when there is ade-
quate contact between the tires and the road
surface. Pay particular attention to the informa-
tion regarding tires, recommended minimum tire tread depths etc. in the "Wheels and tires"
section (
Ypage 257).
In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tires (M+S tires) and if necessary, snow chains.
Only in this way will the driving safety systems
described in this section work as effectively as
possible.
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General information
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way that the wheels do not lock when you brake. This
allows you to continue steering the vehicle when
braking.
The yellow !ABS warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up when the ignition is
switched on. It goes out when the engine is run- ning.
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/h), regardless of road-surface conditions.
ABS works on slippery surfaces, even when you
only brake gently.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 58).
GWARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking charac-
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition-
ally, further driving safety systems are deac-
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid-
ding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist workshop.
When ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information
on the ABS warning lamp (
Ypage 194) and dis-
play messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (
Ypage 175).
58Driving safety systems
Safety

Braking
XIf ABS intervenes:continue to depress the
brake pedal vigorously until the braking sit-
uation is over.
XTo make a full brake application: depress
the brake pedal with full force.
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel a
pulsing in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indication
of hazardous road conditions, and functions as a
reminder to take extra care while driving.
Off-road ABS
ESP®automatically activates the ABS system
specifically suited to off-road terrain.
At speeds below 37 mph (60 km/h), the front
wheels lock cyclically during braking. The dig-
ging-in effect achieved in the process reduces
the stopping distance on off-road terrain. This
limits steering capability.
BAS (Brake Assist System)
General information
BAS operates in emergency braking situations.
If you depress the brake pedal quickly, BAS
automatically boosts the braking force, thus
shortening the stopping distance.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 58).
GWARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. There is a risk of an accident.
In an emergency braking situation, depress
the brake pedal with full force. ABS prevents
the wheels from locking.
Braking
XKeep the brake pedal firmly depressed until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking. The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated.
ESP®(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 58).
ESP
®monitors driving stability and traction, i.e.
power transmission between the tires and the
road surface.
If ESP
®detects that the vehicle is deviating from
the direction desired by the driver, one or more
wheels are braked to stabilize the vehicle. The
engine output is also modified to keep the vehi-
cle on the desired course within physical limits.
ESP
®assists the driver when pulling away on
wet or slippery roads. ESP®can also stabilize
the vehicle during braking.
4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 58).
4ETS traction control is part of ESP
®.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side. In addition, more drive torque is transfer-
red to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP
®.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 58).
GWARNING
If ESP
®is malfunctioning, ESP®is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv-
ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP
®checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Driving safety systems59
Safety
Z

Correct driver's seat position
:Steering wheel
;Seat belts
=Backrest
XObserve the safety guidelines on seat adjust-
ment (Ypage 74).
XMake sure that seat=is adjusted properly.
Electrical seat adjustment (
Ypage 76)
When adjusting the seat, make sure that:
Ryou are as far away from the driver's air bag as
possible
Ryou are sitting in a normal upright position
Ryou can fasten the seat belt properly
Ryou have moved the backrest to an almost
vertical position
Ryou have set the seat cushion angle so that
your thighs are gently supported
Ryou can depress the pedals properly
XCheck whether the head restraint is adjusted
properly (Ypage 76).
When doing so, make sure that you have
adjusted the head restraint so that the back of
your head is supported at eye level by the
center of the head restraint.
XObserve the safety guidelines on steering
wheel adjustment (Ypage 74).
XMake sure that steering wheel :is adjusted
properly.
Adjusting the steering wheel electrically
(
Ypage 80). When adjusting the steering wheel, make sure
that:
Ryou can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent
Ryou can move your legs freely
Ryou can see all the displays in the instrument
cluster clearly
XObserve the safety guidelines for seat belts
(Ypage 40).
XCheck whether you hav
e fastened seat
belt ;properly (Ypage 41).
The seat belt should:
Rfit snugly across your body
Rbe routed across the middle of your shoulder
Rbe routed across your hips in the pelvic area
XBefore starting off, adjust the rear-view mirror
and the exterior mirrors in such a way that you
have a good view of road and traffic condi-
tions (
Ypage 82).
XVehicles with a memory function: save the
seat, steering wheel and exterior mirror set-
tings with the memory function (
Ypage 84).
Seats
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Children could become trapped if they adjust
the seats, particularly when unattended.
There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
The seats can still be adjusted when there is no
SmartKey in the ignition lock.
GWARNING
When you adjust a seat, you or other vehicle
occupants could become trapped, e.g. on the seat guide rail. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure when adjusting a seat that no one
has any body parts in the sweep of the seat.
Observe the safety notes on "Air bags"
(
Ypage 44) and "Children in the vehicle"
(Ypage 50).
74Seats
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

GWARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
Radjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
Rfasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine.
GWARNING
If the head restraints are not installed or not
adjusted correctly, they cannot provide pro-
tection as intended. There is an increased risk
of injury in the head and neck area, e.g. in the event of an accident or when braking.
Always drive with the head restraints instal-
led. Before driving off, make sure for every
vehicle occupant that the center of the head
restraint supports the back of the head at
about eye level.
Make sure that you do not rotate the head
restraints of the front and rear seats when
adjusting the head restraints. Otherwise, you
cannot adjust the height and angle of the head
restraints correctly.
Adjust the head restraint so that it is as close as
possible to your head.
GWARNING
If you adjust the seat height carelessly, you or
other vehicle occupants could be trapped and
thereby injured. Children in particular could
accidentally press the electrical seat adjust-
ment buttons and become trapped. There is a
risk of injury.
While moving the seats, make sure that your
hands or other body parts do not get under the
lever assembly of the seat adjustment sys-
tem.
GWARNING
When you adjust a seat, you or other vehicle
occupants could become trapped, e.g. on the seat guide rail. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure when adjusting a seat that no one
has any body parts in the sweep of the seat.
!To avoid damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following information:
Rkeep liquids from spilling on the seats. If
liquid is spilled on the seats, dry them as
soon as possible.
Rif the seat covers are damp or wet, do not
switch on the seat heating. The seat heat-
ing should also not be used to dry the seats.
Rclean the seat covers as recommended;
see "Interior care".
Rdo not transport heavy loads on the seats.
Do not place sharp objects on the seat
cushions, e.g. knives, nails or tools. The
seats should only be occupied by passen-
gers, if possible.
Rwhen the seat heating is in operation, do
not cover the seats with insulating materi-
als, e.g. blankets, coats, bags, seat covers,
child seats or booster seats.
!Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell under or behind the seats when mov-
ing the seats back. There is a risk that the
seats and/or the objects could be damaged.
!When the rear bench seat is folded for-
wards, the front seats cannot be moved to
their rearmost position. You could otherwise
damage the seats and the rear bench seat.
!Make sure that the sun visor is folded up
before adjusting the backrest and head
restraint height. The head restraint and sun
visor could otherwise collide when the head
restraint is fully extended.
iIf the front door is open, the seats can be
adjusted for up to 30 minutes after the igni-
tion has been switched off.
iThe rear-compartment head restraints can
be removed (Ypage 77).
For more information, contact a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
iYou can find further information about
enlarging the cargo compartment (folding the
rear bench seat forwards) on (
Ypage 213).
Seats75
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Z

Adjusting the seats electrically
!
Mak esur ethat th ecup holder on th ecenter
console is folded down before you mov eth e
front-passenger seat forwards.
:Hea drestrain theight
;Seat height
=Seat cushion angle
?Seat fore-and-af tadjustmen t
ABackrest angle
iYou can store th eseat setting susin gth e
memory function (Ypage 84).
Adjusting the head restraints
Import ant safety notes
GWARNIN G
If th ehead restraints are no tinstalled or no t
adjusted correctly, they canno tprovid epro -
tection as intended. There is an increased ris k
of injury in th ehead and neck area, e.g. in th e
event of an acciden tor when braking .
Always drive wit hth ehead restraints instal -
led. Befor edrivin goff ,mak esur efor every
vehicl eoccupant that th ecenter of th ehead
restrain tsupport sth ebac kof th ehead at
about eye level.
Observ eth efollowin gwhen adjusting th ehead
restraints :
XDo notrotate th ehead restraints of th efron t
and rear seats.
Otherwise ,you canno tadjust th eheight and
angle of th ehead restraints correctly.
XAdjus tth ehead restrain tso that it is as close
as possibl eto your head .
Adjusting the front seat head restraint
height
:Headrestrain theight
;Seat height
=Seat cushion angle
?Seat fore-and-af tadjustmen t
ABackrest angle
XSlide head restrain tadjustmen tbutto n: up
or down in th edirection of th earrow.
Adjusting the luxury head restraints
XTo adjust th esid ebolsters of th ehea d
restraint: push or pull right and/o rleft-han d
side bolste r: intoth edesired position .
XTo adjust theangle of th ehea drestraint:
push or pull th ehead restrain tin th edirection
of arrow ;.
Resetting the front seat head restraints
It is necessar yto reset th efron tseat head
restraints after th evoltag esupply has been
interrupted, e.g. if th ebattery has been com-
pletely discharged or disconnected.
76Seats
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

XMake sure that the cup holder on the center
console is folded down (Ypage 215).
XMove the seat as far forward as possible andthe head restraint in as far as possible.
Rear seat head restraints
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the head restraints are not installed or not
adjusted correctly, they cannot provide pro-
tection as intended. There is an increased risk
of injury in the head and neck area, e.g. in the event of an accident or when braking.
Always drive with the head restraints instal-
led. Before driving off, make sure for every
vehicle occupant that the center of the head
restraint supports the back of the head at
about eye level.
Observe the following when adjusting the head
restraints:
XDo not rotate the head restraints of the front
and rear seats.
Otherwise, you cannot adjust the height and
angle of the head restraints correctly.
XAdjust the head restraint so that it is as close
as possible to your head.
Adjusting the rear seat head restraint
height
XOnce the head restraint is fully lowered, press
release catch :.
XTo raise:pull the head restraint up to the
desired position.
XTo lower: press release catch :and push
the head restraint down until it is in the
desired position.
Installing/removing the rear seat head
restraints
XTo remove: pull the head restraint up to the
stop.
XPress release catch :and pull the head
restraint out of the guides.
XTo re-install: place the head restraint in the
guides of the backrest.
iThe notches on the guide rod must be on the
left-hand side when viewed in the direction of
travel.
XPush the head restraint down until you hear it
engage in position.
Adjusting the multicontour seat
:To adjust the thigh cushion
;To adjust the backrest contour in the lumbar
region
=To adjust the backrest contour in the upper
back region
?To adjust the side bolsters of the seat back-
rest
You can adjust the contour of the front seats
individually so as to provide optimum support
for your back and sides.
XMake sure that the SmartKey is in position 1
or 2in the ignition lock (Ypage 105).
Seats77
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Z

Adjusting the 4-way lumbar support
You can adjust thecontour of th efron tseat
backrest sindividually to provid eoptimum sup-
por tfor your back.
:Raises th ebackrest contour
;Soften sth ebackrest contour
=Lowers th ebackrest contour
?Harden sth ebackrest contour
Switching the seat heating on/off
Gene ral notes
GWARNIN G
Repeatedly switching on th eseat heating can
caus eth eseat cushion and backrest pads to
become ver yhot .The healt hof person swit h
limite dtemperature sensitivit yor alimite d
abilit yto reac tto high temperatures may be
affecte dor they may eve nsuffer burn-like
injuries. There is aris kof injury.
Therefore ,do no tswitch th eseat heating on
repeatedly.
!Hea taccumulation can occur if th eseat
heating is switched on and there are objects
or underlays placed on th eseats, e.g. seat
cushion sor child seats.
This can lead to damag eto th eseat surface.
Mak esur ethat no objects or underlays are
placed on th eseat swhen th eseat heating is
switched on .
The red indicator lamp sin th ebutto nindicat e
th eheating level you hav eselected.
XMak esur ethat th eSmartKey is in position 2
in th eignition lock.
iIf th ebattery voltag eis to olow, th eseat
heating may switch off .
On eor mor eof th eindicator lamp sin th eseat
heating butto nare flashing.
Switching the front-seat heating on/off
XTo switch on: press button: repeatedly
until th edesired heating level is set .
XTo switch off:press butto n: repeatedly
until all th eindicator lamp sgo out .
iThe system automatically switches from
level 3to level 2after approximately eigh t
minutes.
The system automatically switches down
from level 2to level 1after approximately te n
minutes.
The system automatically switches off
approximately 35 minute safter it is set to
level 1.
Switching the rea r-seat heating on/off
XTo switch on: press button: repeatedly
until th edesired heating level is set .
XTo switch off:press butto n: repeatedly
until all th eindicator lamp sgo out .
78Seats
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

iThe system automatically switches from
level 3to level 2after approximately eight
minutes.
The system automatically switches down
from level 2to level 1after approximately ten
minutes.
The system automatically switches off
approximately 35 minutes after it is set to
level 1.
Switching the seat ventilation on/off
Switching on/off
Seat ventilation is only available for the front
seats.
The three blue indicator lamps in the buttons
indicate the ventilation level you have selected.
XMake sure that the SmartKey is in position 2
in the ignition lock (Ypage 105).
XTo switch on: press button:repeatedly
until the desired ventilation level is set.
iIf you open the side windows and the sliding
sunroof using the SmartKey (Ypage 70), the
driver's seat ventilation automatically
switches to the highest level.
XTo switch off: press button:repeatedly
until all the indicator lamps go out.
iIf the battery voltage is too low, the seat
ventilation may switch off.
Problems with the seat heating/seat ventilation
ProblemPossible causes/consequences and MSolutions
The seat heating or seat
ventilation has switched
off prematurely or can-
not be switched on.The on-board voltage is too low because too many electrical consum-
ers are switched on.
XSwitch off electrical consumers that you do not need, such as the
rear window defroster or interior lighting.
Once the battery is sufficiently charged, the seat heating or seat
ventilation can be switched back on manually.
Steering wheel
Important safety notes
GWARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
Radjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
Rfasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt
before starting the engine.
GWARNING
Children could injure themselves if they
adjust the steering wheel. There is a risk of
injury.
Steering wheel79
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Z