light MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS SUV 2012 Owners Manual

Course-correcting brake application
G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist is only an aid
designed to assis tdriving. It is not a substitute
for attentive driving. Automatic braking by the
system may not always be sufficient to avoid
a collision. In such cases, you need to steer,
brake or accelerate yourself.
In very rare cases, the system may detect a
risk of collision where there is none and brake
in error near crash barriers or similar road
boundaries. Active Blind Spot Assist cannot
detect all traffic situations and road users.
Ensure at all times that there is sufficient lat-
eral distance between you and other road
users or obstacles. You can, for example,
countersteer gently or depress the accelera-
tor pedal at any time to cancel inappropriate
braking action.
You are responsible for the vehicle's speed,
correct steering and for braking in good time.
Always adapt yourd riving style to suitthe
prevailing road and weather conditions.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions and
your surroundings. Otherwise, you may fail to
recognise dangers in time, cause an accident
and injure yourself and others. If a course-correcting brake application
occurs, red warning lamp
:flashes in the
exterior mirror and a dual warning tone
sounds. In addition, display ;appears in the
multifunction display.
If Active Blind Spot Assist detects a risk of a
lateral collision in the monitoring range, a
course-correcting brake application is carried
out. This is designed to help you avoid a col-
lision.
The course-correcting brake application is
available in the range between 30 km/h and
200 km/h.
Either a very slight course-correcting brake
application, or none at all, may occur if:
R there are vehicles or obstacles, e.g. crash
barriers, on both sides of your vehicle.
R a vehicle approaches too closely on the
side.
R you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds.
R you brake or accelerate decisively.
R a driving safety system intervenes, e.g.
ESP ®
.
R ESP ®
is deactivated.
R the LOW RANGE off-road gear is activated.
R a loss of tyre pressure has been detected.
Activating Active Blind Spot Assist Driving systems
195Driving and parking Z

X
Make sure that active Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 220) is activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
Warning lamps :in the exterior mirrors
light up red for approximately
1.5 seconds and then turn yellow.
Towing atrailer If you attach a trailer, make sure tha
tyou have
correctly established the electrical connec-
tion. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. Active Blind Spot Assist is
then deactivated. The indicator lamp lights up
yellow in the exterior mirrors and the ActiveBlind Spot Assist currently unavail‐
able See Owner's Manual message
appears in the multifunction display. HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
R
when pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
R when manoeuvring on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancelled and the HOLD
function is deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
i Do not use the HOLD function when driv-
ing off-road, on steep uphill or downhill gra-
dients or on slippery or loose surfaces. The
HOLD function cannot hold the vehicle on
such surfaces. Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R
the vehicle is stationary.
R the engine is running or it has been
switched off by the ECO start/stop func-
tion (AMG vehicles).
R the engine is running.
R the driver's door is closed or your seat belt
is fastened.
R the transmission is in position D,Ror N.
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
Activating the HOLD function The vehicle's brakes are applied when the
HOLD function is activated. For this reason,
deactivate the HOLD function while in the car
wash or while towing.
X
Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until ë appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away
despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply
R the HOLD function is deactivated by the
accelerator pedal being depressed, e.g. by
a vehicle occupant
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with
R the battery is disconnected 196
Driving systemsDriving and parking

PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors
.Itindicates visually and
audibly the distance between your vehicle
and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a replace-
ment for your attention to your immediate
surroundings. You are always responsible for
safe manoeuvring, parking and exiting a park-
ing space. Check in front, behind and to the
sides of the vehicle before manoeuvring,
parking or exiting a parking space. There
must not be any persons, animals or objects
in the area in which yo uare manoeuvring.
PARKTRONIC cannot identify any persons or
objects outside of the detection range. As a
result, PARKTRONIC cannot warn you about
objects in this area.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically if
you:
R switch on the ignition
R shift the transmission to position D,Ror N
R release the parking brake
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
18 km/h. It is reactivated at lower speeds.
PARKTRONIC monitors the area around your
vehicle using six sensors in the front bumper
and four sensors in the rear bumper.
Range of the sensors General notes
:
Example: sensors in the front bumper,
left-hand side Side view
Top view
The sensors must be free of dirt, ice and
slush. Otherwise, they may not function cor-
rectly. Clean the sensors regularly, taking
care not to scratch or damage them
(Y
page 298).
Front sensors Centre Approximately 100 cm
Corners Approximately 60 cm
Rear sensors
Centre Approximately 90 cm
(from spare wheel)
Corners Approximately 80 cm
Minimum distance
Centre Approximately 20 cm
Corners Approximately 20 cm
If there is an obstacle withi
nthis range, the
relevant warning displays light up and a warn-
ing tone sounds. If the distance falls below
the minimum, the distance may no longer be
shown. 198
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Warning displays
Warning display for the front area
:
Segments on the left-hand side of the
vehicle
; Segments on the right-hand side of the
vehicle
= Segments showing operational readiness
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located
on the dashboard above the centre airv ents.
The warning display for the rear area is loca-
ted on the roof lining in the rear compart-
ment.
The warning display for each side of the vehi-
cle is divided into five yellow and two red seg-
ments. PARKTRONIC is operational if yellow
segments showing operational readiness =
light up.
The selected transmission position and the
direction in which the vehicle is rolling deter-
mine which warning display is active when the
engine is running. Transmission
position Warning display
D
Front area activated
R,
Nor the vehicle
is rolling back-
wards Rear and front areas
activated
P
No areas activated One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the
vehicle's distance from the obstacle.
From the:
R
sixth segmen tonwards, you will hea ran
intermittent warning ton efor approx-
imately two seconds.
R seventh segment onwards, you will hear a
warning tone for approximately two sec-
onds. This indicates that you have now
reached the minimum distance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC :
Indicator lamp
; To deactivate/activate PARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp :lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated.
i PARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the key to position 2in the
ignition lock.
Towing atrailer PARKTRONIC is deactivated for the rea
rarea
when you establish an electrical connection
between yourv ehicle and a trailer. Driving systems
199Driving and parking Z

Problems with PARKTRONIC
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
You also hear a warning
tone for approximately
two seconds.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after a few sec-
onds, and the indicator
lamp in the PARK-
TRONIC button lights
up. PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has switched off.
X
If problems persist, have PARKTRONIC checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after a few sec-
onds. The PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is interference.
X
Cleant he PARKTRONIC sensors (Y page 298).
X Switch the ignition back on. The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or
ultrasound waves.
X
See if PARKTRONIC functions in a different location. Reversing camera
Important safety notes The reversing camera is only an aid. It is not
a replacement for your attention to your
immediate surroundings. You are always
responsible for safe manoeuvring and park-
ing. When manoeuvring or parking, make sure
that there are no persons, animals or objects
in the area in which you are manoeuvring.
Under the following circumstances, the
reversing camera will not function, or will
function in a limited manner:
R the rear door is open
R in heavy rain, snow or fog
R at night or in very dark places
R if the camera is exposed to very bright light
R if the area is lit by fluorescent light or LED
lighting (the display may flicker) R
if there is a sudden change in temperature,
e.g. when driving into a heated garage in
winter
R if the camera lens is dirty or obstructed
R if the rear of your vehicle is damaged. In
this event, have the camera position and
setting checked at a qualified specialist
workshop. Mercedes-Ben zrecommends
that you use a Mercedes-BenzS ervice
Centre for this purpose. 200
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Activating/deactivating the reversing
camera
:
Reversing camera X
To activate: make sure that the key is in
position 2in the ignition lock.
X Make sure that the "Reversing camera"
function is selected in COMAND Online;
see the separate operating instructions for
COMAND Online.
X Engage reverse gear.
The area behind the vehicle is shown with
guide lines in the COMAND display.
X To change the function mode: using the
COMAND controller, select symbol :for
the "Reverse parking" function or sym-
bol ;for "Coupling up a trailer" (see the
separate COMAND Online operating
instructions).
The symbol of the selected function is high-
lighted. To deactivate:
the reversing camera is deac-
tivated if you:
R shif tthe transmission to position P
R drive forward ten metres
R shift the transmission from Rto another
position (after 15 seconds)
R drive forwards at a speed of over
10 km/h Off-road driving systems
Transfer case
General notes The vehicle has permanent all-wheel drive.
The front and rear axles are constantly driven.
For further information on driving off-road,
see (Y
page 169).
Shift ranges G
WARNING
If you do not wait for the transfer case gear
change process to complete, the transfer
case could remain in the neutral position. The
power transmission to the driven wheels is
then interrupted. There is a danger of the
vehicle rolling away unintentionally. There is
a risk of an accident.
Wait until the transfer case shift process is
completed.
Do not turn off the engine while changing gear
and do not shift the automatic transmission
to another gear. Off-road driving systems
201Driving and parking Z

X
Press LOW RANGE button ;.
When the shift procedure is complete, the
LOW RANGE transfer case position appears
in the multifunction display.
Indicator lamp :lights up.
X Shift the transmission to position D.
Switching off the off-road gear ratio G
WARNING
When the transfer case is in the neutral posi-
tion, power transmission to the driven wheels
is interrupted. As a result, the vehicle could
roll away .There is a risk of an accident.
Secure the vehicle with the parking brake, and
on uphill or downhill gradients, also secure it
with a device such as a wheel chock.
! Only carry out the gear selection if:
R the engine is running.
R the vehicle is rolling.
R the automatic transmission is in selector
lever position N.
R you are driving at less than 70 km/h.
You could otherwise damage the transfer
case.
X Press button ;.
When the shift procedure is complete, the
HIGH RANGE transfer case position appears
in the multifunction display.
Indicator lamp :goes out.
If the gear change is not completed, the fol-
lowing messages could appearint he display:
R TC shift conditions not fulfilled You have not met one or more shift condi-
tions.
R TC NEUTRAL on The transfer case has cancelled the gear
change process and is in N.TheN transfer
case position appears in the multifunction
display.
R TC shift cancelled The transfer case has not performed the
gear change process. X
Repeatt he gear change process.
Make sure to meet all conditions for chang-
ing gears.
R TC Malfunction Visit workshop There is a malfunction in the transfer case.
X Do not shift the transfer case.
X Have the vehicle checked as soon as pos-
sible at a qualified specialist workshop.
Shifting to neutral G
WARNING
When the transfer case is in the neutral posi-
tion, power transmission to the driven wheels
is interrupted. As a result, the vehicle could
roll away.T here is a risk of an accident.
Secure the vehicle with the parking brake, and
on uphill or downhill gradients, also secure it
with a device such as a wheel chock.
X Turn the key to position 2(Ypage 143) in
the ignition lock.
X Apply the parking brake.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Move the selector lever to position
N(Y page 149).
X Press and hold LOW RANGE button ;for
approximately 10 seconds.
Once the gear change procedure is com-
plete, TC in neutral message appears in
the multifunction display for approximately
5s econds.
If the gear change is not completed, the fol-
lowing messages could appear in the display
(Y page 241).
i If the transfer case is in Neutral, the key
is in the ignition lock and you open the driv-
er's door, the TC in neutral message
appears in the multifunction display. If you
then release the parking brake, a warning
tone will sound. Off-road driving systems
203Driving and parking Z

For further information on driving off-road,
see (Y page 169).
i You can only engage the differential locks
if the transfer case is in the LOW RANGE
off-road driving positio n(Ypage 201).
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 the
LOW RANGE off-road driving position
(Y page 202).
X Press switch =.
When the transfer case is in the LOW
RANGE off-road driving position, the yellow
activation indicator lamp below switch =
lights up.
The å warning lamp in the instrument
panel lights up.
When the differential is locked, the red
function indicator lamp above switch =
lights up.
The following message appears in the mul-
tifunction display:
ABS not available differential locked
The
å!÷ warning lamps in the
instrument cluster light up.
The differential lock for the transfer case is
engaged.
4ETS, ESP ®
, BASa nd ABS ar edeactivated.
The vehicle's ability to steer is severely
restricted. Drive carefully and accelerate gen-
tly for optimum traction.
i You can now engage the differential lock
for rear axle ?and the differential lock for
front axle ;as required. Differential lock for the rear axle X
To engage: press switch ?.
Yellow activation indicator lamp Alights
up first, followed by red function indicator
lamp :of switch ?.
The differential lock for the rear axle is
engaged.
Differential lock for the front axle X
To engage: press switch ;.
The yellow activation indicator lamp lights
up first, followed by the red function indi-
cator lamp.
The differential lock for the front axle is
engaged.
Deactivating the differential lock You can deactivate the differential locks in
this order:
;,?,=.
X To simultaneously deactivate all differ-
ential locks: press switch=.
Yellow activation indicator lamps Aand
red function indicator lamps :go out.
After approximately three seconds of nor-
mal driving, ABS, 4ETS, ESP ®
and BAS are
activated.
The ABS not available differential
locked message disappears from the mul-
tifunction display and the å,!and
÷ warning lamps in the instrument clus-
ter go out.
X Shift the transfer case to the HIGH
RANGE on-road position (Y page 202).
If red function indicator lamps :do not go
out when deactivating the differential locks:
X Observe the traffic situation.
X While driving, make some gentle steering
movements.
Red function indicator lamps :go out as
soon as the differential locks have been
disengaged. Off-road driving systems
205Driving and parking Z

Displays and operation
Instrument cluster
Instrument cluster: kilometres
:
Speedometer with segments (Y page 212)
; Multifunction display (Y page 214)
= Rev counter (Y page 212)
? Coolant temperature ( Ypage 212)
A Fuel gauge
B Instrumen tcluster lighting (Y page 212) Instrument cluster: miles
:
Speedometer with segments (Y page 212)
; Multifunction display (Y page 214) Displays and operation
211On-board computer and displays Z

=
Rev counter (Y page 212)
? Coolan ttemperature (Y page 212)
A Fuel gauge
B Instrument cluster lighting (Y page 212)Instrument cluster lighting
The lighting in the instrument cluster, in the
displays and the controls in the vehicle inte-
rior can be adjusted using the brightness con-
trol knob.
The brightness control knob is located on the
bottom left of the instrument cluster
(Y page 211).
X Turn the brightness control knob clockwise
or anti-clockwise.
If the light switch is set to Ã,Tor
L, the brightness is dependen tupon
the brightness of the ambient light.
i The light senso rinthe instrumentc luster
automatically controls the brightness of
the multifunction display.
In daylight, the displays in the instrument
cluster are not illuminated. Displaying the coolant temperature
The coolan ttemperature gauge is in the
instrument cluster on the right-hand side
(Y page 211).
The reading may rise up to 120 †undernor-
mal driving conditions if the coolant has been
filled correctly.
At high outside temperatures and when driv-
ing uphill, the coolant temperature may rise
to the end of the scale. Rev counter
! Do not drive in the overrevving range.
Doing so will damage the engine.
The red band in the rev counter indicates the
engine's overrevving range. The fuel supply is interrupted to protec
tthe
engine when the red band is reached. Outside temperature display
G
WARNING
At temperatures just above freezing point, the
street may be icy, especially in wooded areas
or on bridges. If you do not adapt your driving
style to the conditions, the vehicle could skid.
For this reason, adapt your driving style and
speed to the weather conditions.
The outside temperature displayi s in the mul-
tifunction display (Y page 214).
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay. Speedometer with segments
The segments in the speedometer indicate
which speed range is available.
R Cruise control activated (Y page 173):
The segments light up from the stored
speed to the maximum speed.
R Variable SPEEDTRONIC activated
(Y page 178):
The segments light up from the start of the
scale to the selected limit speed.
R DISTRONIC PLUS activated (Y page 184):
One or two segments in the set speed
range light up.
R DISTRONIC PLUS detects avehicle in front:
The segments between the speed of the
vehicle in fron tand the stored speed light
up. 212
Displays and operationOn-board computer and displays