ESP MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS 2018 Owner's Guide

Shift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
XShift to recommended gear;according to
gearshift recommendation :when shown in
the multifunction display of the instrument
cluster.
Manual drive program
General information
In manual drive program M, you can change gear
yourself by using the steering wheel paddle
shifters. The transmission must be in position
h to do this. The gear currently selected and
engaged is shown in the multifunction display.
Manual drive program Mdiffers from drive pro-
grams Cand Swith regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes.
Switching on the manual drive program
XShift the transmission to position h.
XPress the program selector button repeatedly
until drive programMappears in the multi-
function display.
Upshifting
!When the engine limiting speed is reached,
the fuel supply is cut to prevent the engine
from overrevving. Always make sure that the
engine speed does not reach the red area of
the tachometer. There is otherwise a risk of
engine damage.
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 ;.
G 500: the automatic transmission shifts up
automatically when the limiting speed of the
engine is reached.
G 350 d in transfer case position HIGH
RANGE: the automatic transmission shifts up
automatically when the limiting speed of the
engine is reached.
G 350 d in transfer case position LOW
RANGE: the automatic transmission does not
shift up automatically when the limiting speed of
the engine is reached.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the automatic trans-
mission does not shift up automatically when
the limiting speed of the engine is reached.
Protection against reaching the over-
revving range (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
!In manual mode, the automatic transmis-
sion does not shift up automatically even
when the engine limiting speed for the current
gear is reached. When the engine limiting
speed is reached, the fuel supply is cut to
prevent the engine from overrevving. Always
make sure that the engine speed does not
reach the red area of the tachometer. There is
otherwise a risk of engine damage.
Before the engine speed reaches the red area,
an upshift indicator will be shown in the multi-
function display.
118Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

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

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. The vehicle could
skid if you fail to adapt your driving style. Always
adapt your driving style and drive at a speed to
suit the prevailing weather conditions.
You should pay special attention to road condi-
tions when temperatures are around freezing
point.
For more information on driving with snow
chains, see (
Ypage 259).
For more information on driving with summer
tires, see (
Ypage 259).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation" sec-
tion (
Ypage 258).
Off-road driving
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you drive on a steep incline at an angle or
turn when driving on an incline, the vehicle
could slip sideways, tip and rollover. There is a risk of an accident.
Always drive on a steep incline in the line of
fall (straight up or down) and do not turn the
vehicle.
GWARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with
hot parts of the exhaust system. There is a risk of fire.
When driving off road or on unpaved roads,
check the vehicle's underside regularly. In
particular, remove parts of plants or other
flammable materials which have become
trapped. In the case of damage, contact a
qualified specialist workshop.
!There is a risk of damage to the vehicle if:
Rthe vehicle becomes stuck, e.g. on a high
curb or an unpaved road
Ryou drive too fast over an obstacle, e.g. a
curb, a speed bump or a pothole in the road
Ra heavy object strikes the underbody or
parts of the chassis
In situations like this, the body, the under-
body, chassis parts, wheels or tires could be
damaged without the damage being visible.
Components damaged in this way can unex-
pectedly fail or, in the case of an accident, no
longer withstand the loads they are designed
to.
If the underbody paneling is damaged, com-
bustible materials such as leaves, grass or
twigs can gather between the underbody and
the underbody paneling. If these materials
come in contact with hot parts of the exhaust system, they can catch fire.
In such situations, have the vehicle checked
and repaired immediately at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. If on continuing your jour-
ney you notice that driving safety is impaired,
pull over and stop the vehicle immediately,
paying attention to road and traffic condi-
tions. In such cases, consult a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
When driving off-road, substances such as sand, mud and water or water mixed with oil may get
into the brakes. This may lead to a reduction in
braking performance or total brake failure as a
result of increased wear. The braking charac-
teristics change depending on the material
entering the brakes. Clean the brakes after driv-
ing off-road. If you detect a reduced braking
effect or grinding noises, ha

ve the brake system
checked in a qualified specialist workshop as
soon as possible. Adapt your driving style to the
different braking characteristics.
Driving off-road increases the likelihood of dam-
age to the vehicle, which, in turn, can lead to
failure of the mechanical assembly or systems.
Adapt your driving style to suit the terrain con-
ditions. Drive carefully. Have damage to the
vehicle rectified immediately at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Do not shift into transmission position iwhen
driving off-road. You could lose control of the
vehicle if you attempt to brake the vehicle using
the service brake. If the gradient is too steep for your vehicle, drive back down in reverse gear.
Driving tips129
Driving and parking
Z

General notes
HEnvironmental note
Protection of the environment is of primary
importance. Treat nature with respect.
Observe all prohibiting signs.
Read this section carefully before driving your
vehicle off-road. Practice by driving over more
gentle off-road terrain first.
Familiarize yourself with the characteristics of
your vehicle and the gear shift operation before
driving through difficult terrain.
The following driving systems are specially
adapted to off-road driving:
R4ETS (Ypage 59)
ROff-road ABS (Ypage 59)
RTransfer case (Ypage 149)
RDifferential locks (Ypage 151)
Observe the following notes:
Rstop the vehicle before you drive off-road and,
if necessary, shift the transfer case to the
LOW RANGE off-road gear (
Ypage 149).
REngage the differential locks if necessary
(Ypage 151).
iABS, 4ETS, ESP®and BAS are deactivated
while the differential locks are engaged. This
allows the front wheels to lock briefly, so that
these can dig into a loose surface. However,
please note that locked wheels skid and can
no longer steer.
RCheck that items of luggage and loads are
stowed safely and are well secured
(
Ypage 214).
RTo avoid damaging the vehicle, make sure
there is always sufficient ground clearance.
RAlways keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a downhill gradient.
RAlways keep the engine running and in gear
when driving down an incline.
RDrive slowly and evenly, if necessary at a
walking pace.
REnsure that the wheels are in contact with the
ground at all times.
RDrive with extreme care on unfamiliar off-road
routes where visibility is poor. For safety rea-
sons, get out of the vehicle first and survey
the off-road route.
RCheck the depth of water before fording rivers
and streams.
RWatch out for obstacles.
RAlways keep the doors, rear door, side win-
dows and the sliding sunroof closed while the
vehicle is in motion.
RSwitch off cruise control.
RDo not deviate from marked routes.
RAdapt your speed to the terrain. The rougher,
steeper or more ruts on the terrain, the slower
your speed should be.
RDo not jump with the vehicle. as this will inter-
rupt the vehicle's propulsion.
RAvoid high engine speeds. Drive at appropri-
ate engine speeds (maximum 3,000 rpm).
RDo not shift the automatic transmission to
position i.
RAlways check the vehicle for damage after off-
road driving.
Do not use the HOLD function when driving off-
road, on steep uphill or downhill gradients or on slippery or loose surfaces. The HOLD function
cannot hold the vehicle on such surfaces.
You can obtain further information about mount-
ing special all-terrain tires from a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Checklist before driving off-road
!If the engine oil warning lamp lights up while
the vehicle is in motion, stop the vehicle in a
safe place as soon as possible. Check the
engine oil level. The engine oil warning lamp
warning must not be ignored. Continuing the
journey while the symbol is displayed could
lead to engine damage.
XEngine oil level: check the engine oil level
and add oil if necessary.
When driving on steep gradients, the engine
oil level must be sufficiently high to ensure a
correct oil supply in the vehicle.
XTire-changing tool kit: check that the jack is
working and make sure you have the lug
wrench, a robust tow cable and a folding
spade in the vehicle.
XWheels and tires: check the tire tread depth
and tire pressure.
XCheck for damage and remove any foreign
objects, e.g. small stones, from the wheels/
tires.
XReplace any missing valve caps.
130Driving tips
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XReplacedente dor damaged wheels. Als o
chec kth espar ewheel.
XRims: dentedor ben trim scan result in aloss
of tire pressur eand damag eth etire bead.
Before driving off-road, chec kth ewheels and
replace them if necessary.
Checklist after driving off-road
!If you detec tdamag eto th evehicl eafter
driving off-road, hav eth evehicl echecke d
immediately at aqualified specialist work-
shop.
Drivin gove rroug hterrain places greate r
demand son your vehicl ethan driving on normal
roads. Afte rdriving off-road, chec kth evehicle.
This allows you to detec tdamag epromptly and
reduce th eris kof an acciden tto yourself and
other road users.
XShift th etransfer cas eto th eon-road position
HIG HRANGE (Ypage 149).
XDisengage th edifferential locks
(Ypage 153).
XClean th eheadlamps and rear lights and
chec kfor damage.
XClean th efron tand rear license plates.
XClean th ewheels and tires wit h awater je t
and remove any foreign objects .
XClean thewheels, whee lhousing sand th e
vehicl eunderside wit h awater jet; chec kfor
any foreign objects and damage.
XChec kwhether twigs or other part sof plants
hav ebecome trapped .These increas eth eris k
of fir eand can damag efuel pipes ,brak e
hoses or th erubber bellows of th eaxl ejoint s
and propelle rshafts .
XAfterth etrip, examin ewithout fail th eentire
undercarriage, wheels, tires ,brakes, body-
wor kstructure, steering ,chassi sand exhaust
system for damage.
XAfte rdriving in sand, mud, gravel, water or
similar dirt yconditions, hav eth efollowin g
checke dand cleaned:
Rbrak edisc s
Rwheels
Rbrak epads
Raxl ejoint s
XIf you notice stron gvibration safter off-road
driving ,chec kfor foreign objects in th e
wheels and driv etrain and ,if necessary, remove them. Foreign objects can disturb th
e
balance and caus evibrations.
XCarr yout abrak etest .
Driving on sand
Observ eth efollowin grule swhen driving on
sand:
RShift th etransfer cas eto th eoff-road driving
position LOW RANGE (Ypage 149).
RAvoid high engin espeeds.
RShift th eautomatic transmission to alow
gear .
RDrive quickly to overcome th erollin gresist -
ance. Otherwise th evehicle's wheels could
become stuck in loos eground .
RDrive in th etrack sof other vehicles if possi-
ble. When doin gso, mak esur ethat:
-th etire rut sare no tto odeep
-th esan dis sufficientl yfir m
-your vehicl ehas sufficien tground clear-
anc e
Tire ruts and gravel roads
!Chec kthat th erut sare no tto odeep and
that your vehicl ehas sufficien tclearance .
Otherwise, your vehicl ecould be damaged or
botto mout and get stuck .
Observ eth efollowin grule swhen driving alon g
rut sin off-road terrain or on road swit hloos e
gravel:
RShift th etransfer cas eto th eoff-road driving
position LOW RANGE (Ypage 149).
RAvoid high engin espeeds.
RObserv eth esafet ynote s (Ypage 129) and
th egeneral note s (Ypage 130) on off-road
driving .
RShift th eautomatic transmission to alow
gear .
RDrive slowly.
RWher erut sare to odeep ,driv ewit hth e
wheels of on eside on th ecenter grassy area,
if possible.
Driving over obstacles
!Obstacles could damag eth efloor of th e
vehicl eor component sof th echassis. As k
passenger sfor guidance when driving ove r
larg eobstacles. The passenger should always
Driving tips131
Driving and parking
Z

keep a safe distance from the vehicle when
doing so in order to avoid injury as a result of
unexpected vehicle movements. After driving
off-road or over obstacles, check the vehicle
for possible damage, especially to the under-
body and the components of the chassis.
!Drive with particular care when driving over
an obstacle while driving up or down a steep
slope.
The vehicle could otherwise tilt and slide side-
ways or tip over.
Observe the following rules when driving over
tree stumps, large stones and other obstacles:
RObserve the safety notes (Ypage 129) and
the general notes (Ypage 130) on off-road
driving.
RShift the transfer case to the off-road driving
position LOW RANGE (Ypage 149).
RAvoid high engine speeds.
RShift the automatic transmission to a low
gear.
RMake sure that you have enough ground
clearance before driving across an obstacle.
RDrive very slowly.
RTry to drive straight over the center of obsta-
cles: front wheel first, then rear wheel.
Traveling uphill
Approach/departure angle
GWARNING
If you drive on a steep incline at an angle or
turn when driving on an incline, the vehicle
could slip sideways, tip and rollover. There is a risk of an accident.
Always drive on a steep incline in the line of
fall (straight up or down) and do not turn the
vehicle.
Always observe the approach/departure angle
values (
Ypage 290).
RObserve the safety notes (Ypage 129) and
general notes (Ypage 130) on driving off-
road.
RDo not drive at an angle on slopes, inclines or gradients, but instead follow the direct line of
fall. Note that the climbing ability of your vehi- cle depends on the terrain conditions.
RBefore driving on extreme uphill and downhill
gradients, shift the transfer case to the LOW
RANGE off-road gear (
Ypage 149).
REngage the differential locks if necessary
(Ypage 151).
RDrive slowly.
RAccelerate gently and make sure that the
wheels are gripping.
RAvoid high engine speeds, except when driv-
ing on sandy and muddy routes with high driv-
ing resistance.
RAvoid high engine speeds – drive at an appro-
priate engine speed (maximum 3,000 rpm).
RWhen driving down an incline, make use of the
engine's bra king effect. Observe the engine
speed; do not overrev the engine.
Further information on the maximum engine
speed (
Ypage 160).
RShift the automatic transmission to a low gear appropriate for tackling an uphill gradient or a
long, steep downhill gradient.
Hill start assist will aid you when pulling away on
a hill. For further information about hill start
assist, see (
Ypage 107).
Maximum gradient-climbing capability
Always observe the maximum gradient climbing ability values (Ypage 290).
Hilltops
When driving up an uphill gradient, slightly
reduce pressure on the accelerator immediately
before reaching the brow of the hill (do not shift
the transmission into N). Make use of the vehi-
cle's own impetus to travel over the brow.
This style of driving prevents:
Rthe vehicle from lifting off the ground on the
brow of a hill
Rloss of traction
Rthe vehicle from traveling too quickly down
the other side
Driving downhill
RDrive slowly.
RDo not drive at an angle down steep inclines.
Steer into the line of fall and drive with the
front wheels aligned straight. Otherwise, the
vehicle could slip sideways, tip and rollover.
132Driving tips
Driving an d parking

RBefore tackling steep downhill gradients, shift
the automatic transmission to a low gear.
By doing so, you will use the braking effect of
the engine to reduce the speed. If this is not
sufficient, brake gently. When doing so, make
sure that the vehicle is facing in the direction
of the line of fall.
RObserve the notes on driving in mountainous
terrain (Ypage 132).
RCheck that the service brake is working nor-
mally after a long downhill stretch.
When driving at speeds below 37 mph
(60 km/h), off-road ABS is activated and the
front wheels lock cyclically during braking. The
digging-in effect achieved in the process
reduces the stopping distance on off-road ter-
rain. This limits steering capability.
Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes
Cruise control maintains a constant road speed
for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed. Change into a lower
gear in good time on long and steep downhill
gradients.
This is especially important if the vehicle is
laden. By doing so, you will make use of the
braking effect of the engine. This relieves the
load on the brake system and prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a steady
speed for a prolonged period. You can store any
road speed above 20 mph (30 km/h).
Do not activate cruise control on off-road jour-
neys.
Important safety notes
Cruise control can neither reduce the risk of an
accident if you fail to adapt your driving style nor override the laws of physics. Cruise control can-
not take into account the road, traffic and
weather conditions. Cruise control is only an
aid. You are responsible for maintaining a safe
distance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle
speed, for braking in good time and for staying in
lane. Do not use cruise control:
Rin road and traffic conditions that do not allow
you to maintain a constant speed, e.g. in
heavy traffic, on winding roads or on rough
terrain
Ron slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
Rin poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
snow
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
iThe speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
:Activates or increases speed
;Activates or reduces speed
=Deactivates cruise control
?Activates at the current speed/last stored
speed
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display for
five seconds.
Speedometer with segments: when cruise
control is activated, the segments from the
stored speed to the end of the scale light up.
Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed
Storing and maintaining the current
speed
You can store the current speed if you are driv-
ing faster than 20 mph (30 km/h).
Driving systems133
Driving and parking
Z

XAccelerate the vehicle to the desired speed.
XBriefly press the cruise control lever up:or
down ;.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle auto-
matically maintains the stored speed.
iCruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill and downhill gra-
dients. The stored speed is resumed when the
gradient levels out. Cruise control maintains
the stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically applying the brakes.
Calling up the stored speed
GWARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it is lower
than the current speed, the vehicle deceler-
ates. If you do not know the stored speed, the vehicle could decelerate unexpectedly. There
is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you
do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
Cruise control is activated and adjusts the
vehicle's speed to the last speed stored.
If no speed is stored, cruise control stores the
current speed and maintains it.
Setting a speed
Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the speed set.
XPress the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ;for a lower speed.
XTo adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly press
the cruise control lever up :or down ;to
the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up : or down ;the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
XTo adjust the set speed in 5 mph incre-
ments (10 km/h increments): briefly pressthe cruise control lever up
:or down ;
beyond the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up : or down ;the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
iCruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you acceler-
ate to overtake, cruise control adjusts the
vehicle's speed to the last speed stored after
you have finished overtaking.
Deactivating cruise control
There are several ways to deactivate cruise con-
trol:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever forwards
=.
or
XBrake.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
Ryou apply the parking brake
Ryou are driving at less than 20 mph (30 km/h)
RESP®intervenes or you deactivate ESP®
Ryou shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion iwhile driving
Ryou engage a differential lock
If cruise control is deactivated, a warning tone
sounds. You will see the Cruise Control Off
message in the multifunction display for approx-
imately five seconds. The message on the mul-
tifunction display disappears and the segments
on the speedometer go out.
iWhen you switch off the engine, the last
speed stored is cleared.
DISTRONIC PLUS
General notes
DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and auto-
matically helps you maintain the distance from
the vehicle detected in front. Vehicles are detec-
ted with the aid of the radar sensor system.
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes automatically so that
the set speed is not exceeded.
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients.
This is especially important if the vehicle is
laden. By doing so, you will make use of the
braking effect of the engine. This relieves the
134Driving systems
Driving an d parking