steering MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS SUV 2012 User Guide

G
WARNING
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.
If ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information
on the ABS warning lamp (Y page 254) and
any display messages that may appear in the
instrument cluster (Y page 229).
ABSr egulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the vehi-
cle when braking.
ABS works from a speed of about 8 km/h
upwards, regardless of road-surface condi-
tions. ABSw orks on slippery surfaces, even
when you only brake gently.
The yellow !ABS warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up when the ignition
is switched on. It goes out when the engine is
running.
Brakes If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel
a pulsing in the brake pedal.
X If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal with force until the braking sit-
uation is over.
X To make a full brake application:
depress the brake pedal with full force.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road conditions, and func-
tions as a reminder to take extra care while
driving. Off-road ABS If the
LOW RANGE shift range is selected by
the transfer case, (Y page 202), an ABS sys-
tem specifically suited to off-road terrain is
automatically activated.
At speeds below 60 km/h, the front wheels
lock cyclically during braking. The digging-in
effect achieved in the process reduces the
stopping distance when driving off-road. This
limits steering capability. BAS (Brake Assist System)
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 60). G
WARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. There is a risk of accident.
In an emergency braking situation, depress
the brake pedal with full force. ABS prevents
the wheels from locking.
BAS operates in emergency braking situa-
tions. If you depress the brake pedal quickly,
BAS automatically boosts the braking force,
thus shortening the stopping distance.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed firmly 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. Adaptive brake lamps
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 50 km/ho rifbraking is assisted by BAS,
the brake lamps flash rapidly.Int his way,
traffic travelling behind you is warned in an
even more noticeable manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 70 km/h to a standstill, the hazard warn-
ing lamps are activated automatically .Ifthe
brakes are applied again, the brake lamps Driving safety systems
61Safety Z

Useful information
..............................90
Correct driver's seat position ............90
Seats .................................................... 91
Steering wheel .................................... 97
Mirrors ................................................. 99
Memor yfunctions ............................. 102 89Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

Useful information
i This Owner's Manual describes all mod-
els, series and optional equipment for your
vehicle that were available at the time of
going to press. Country-specific differen-
ces are possible. Note that your vehicle
may not be fitted with all features descri-
bed. This is also the case for systems and
functions relevant to safety.
i Read the information on qualified special-
ist workshops: (Y page 22). Correct driver's seat position
:
Steering wheel
; Seat belts
= Backrest
X Observe the safety guidelines on seat
adjustment (Y page 91).
X Make sure that seat =is adjusted prop-
erly.
Electrical seat adjustment (Y page 92)
When adjusting the seat, make sure that:
R you are as far away from the driver's airbag
as possible.
R you are sitting in a normal upright position.
R you can faste nthe seat belt properly. R
you have moved the backrest to an almost
vertical position.
R you have set the seat angle so that your
thighs are gently supported.
R you can depress the pedals properly.
X Check whether the head restraint is adjus-
ted properly (Y page 92).
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 centre of the head restraint.
X Observe the safety guidelines on steering
wheel adjustment (Y page 91).
X Make sure that steering wheel :is adjus-
ted properly.
Adjusting the steering wheel electrically
(Y page 97)
When adjusting the steering wheel, make
sure that:
R you can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent.
R you can move your legs freely.
R you can see all the displays in the instru-
ment cluster clearly.
X Observe the safety guidelines for seat belts
(Y page 43).
X Check whether you have fastened seat
belt ;properly (Y page 44).
The seat belt should:
R fit snugly across your body
R be routed across the middle of your shoul-
der
R be routed in your pelvic area across the hip
joints
X Before starting off, adjust the rear-view mir-
ror and the exterior mirrors in such a way
that you have a good view of road and traf-
fic conditions (Y page 99).
X Vehicles with a memory function: save
the seat, steering wheel and exterior mirror
settings with the memory function
(Y page 102). 90
Correct driver's seat positionSeats, steering wheel and mirrors

Seats
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
The seats can still be adjusted when there is
no key in the ignition lock. For this reason,
children should never be left unsupervised in
the vehicle. They could adjust the seats and
become trapped. G
WARNING
Only adjust the driver's seat when the vehicle
is stationary. You will otherwise be distracted
from the road and traffic conditions and you
could lose control of the vehicle as a result of
the seat moving. This could cause an acci-
dent. G
WARNING
If you adjust the seat height carelessly, you or
others could be trapped and thereby injured.
Children in particular could unintentionally
press the buttons to electrically adjust the
seats and become trapped.
Take care that:
R while moving the seats, your hands do not
get under the lever assembly of the seat
adjustment system.
R children in the vehicle do not slide their
hands under the levers. G
WARNING
Make sure that nobody can become trapped
when adjusting the seats.
Observe the notes on airbags.
Secure children as recommended; see the
"Children in the vehicle" section. G
WARNING
Make sure that the back of your head is sup-
ported at eye level by the central area of the
head restraint .Ifyour head is not supported
correctly by the head restraint, you could suf-
fer a severe neck injury in the event of an accident
.Never drive if the head restraints are
not engaged and set correctly. G
WARNING
Occupants should only travel sitting on seats
which have the head restraints fitted. On a
seat which is occupied, move the head
restraint into the upright position .This
reduces the risk of injury to the passenger in
the event of an accident. G
WARNING
As eat belt can only offer its intended degree
of protection when the backrest is almost ver-
tical and the occupant is sitting upright. Avoid
seat positions that do not allow the seat belt
to be routed correctly. Adjust the backrest so
that it is as upright as possible. Never travel
with the backrest reclined too far backwards.
You could otherwise be seriously or even
fatally injured in the event of an accident or
sudden braking.
! To avoid damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following information:
R do not spill any liquids on the seats. If
liquid is spilled on the seats, dry them as
soon as possible.
R if the seat covers are damp or wet, do not
switch on the seat heating. The seat
heating should also not be used to dry
the seats.
R clean the seat covers as recommended;
see the "Interior care" section.
R do 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
passengers, if possible.
R when the seat heating is in operation, do
not cover the seats with insulating mate-
rials, e.g. blankets, coats, bags, seat cov-
ers, child seats or booster seats.
! Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats when moving Seats
91Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z

the seat back. There is a risk tha
tthe 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 other-
wise 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.
i If the front door is open, the seats can be
adjusted for up 30 minutes after the igni-
tion has been switched off.
i The rear-compartment head restraints
can be removed (Y page 93).
For more information, contact a qualified
specialist workshop.
i You can find further information about
enlarging the luggage compartment( fold-
ing the rear bench sea tforwards) on
(Y page 270). Adjusting the seats electrically
! Make sure that the cupholder on the
centre console is folded down before you
move the front-passenger seat forwards. :
Head restraint height
; Seat cushion angle
= Seat height ?
Seat fore-and-aft adjustment
A Backrest angle
i You can store the seat settings using the
memory function (Y page 102). Adjusting the head restraints
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Occupants should only travel sitting on seats
that have the head restraints fitted. This
reduces the risk of injury to the occupant in
the event of an accident.
Adjusting the front seat head restraint
height :
Head restraint height
; Seat cushion angle
= Seat height
? Seat fore-and-aft adjustment
A Backrest angle
X Slide head restraint adjustmen tbutton :
up or down in the direction of the arrow.
Adjusting the luxury head restraints G
WARNING
When folding bac kthe head restraint side bol-
sters, do not put your hands between the side
bolster and the cushion holder. There is a
danger of becoming trapped. 92
SeatsSeats, steering wheel and mirrors

X
To adjust the side bolsters of the head
restraint: push or pull right and/or left-
hand side bolster :into the desired posi-
tion.
X To adjust the angle of the head
restraint: push or pull the head restraint in
the direction of arrow ;.
Resetting the front seat head restraints It is necessary to reset the front seat head
restraints after the voltage supply has been
interrupted, e.g .ifthe battery has been com-
pletely discharged or disconnected.
X Make sure that the cup holder on the centre
console is folded down (Y page 275).
X Move the seat as far forward as possible
and the head restraint in as far as possible.
Rear seat head restraints Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Drive only with the head restraints fitted. This
reduces the risk of injury in the event of an
accident.
Occupants must only travel on seats with
head restraints fitted. Pull the head restraints
up into the upright position. This reduces the
risk of injury to occupants in the event of an
accident.
Ensure that the back of your head is suppor-
ted at eye level by the centre of the head
restraint. This reduces the risk of injury to your head or neck in the event of an accident
or a similar situation.
Adjusting the rear seat head restraint
height X
Once the head restraint is fully lowered,
press release catch :.
X To raise: pull the head restraint up to the
desired position.
X To lower: press release catch :and push
the head restraint down until it is in the
desired position.
Fitting/removing the rear seat head
restraints G
WARNING
Occupants should only travel sitting on seats
that have the head restraints fitted. This
reduces the risk of injury to the occupant in
the event of an accident.
X To remove: pull the head restraint up to
the stop.
X Press release catch :and pull the head
restraint out of the guides.
X To refit: place the head restraint in the
guides of the backrest.
i The notches on the guide rod must be on
the left-hand side when viewed in the direc-
tion of travel.
X Push the head restraint down until you hear
it engage in position. Seats
93Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z

Adjusting the multicontour seat
:
To adjust the thigh cushion
; To adjust the backrest contour in the lum-
bar region
= To adjust the backrest contour in the
upper bac kregion
? To adjust the side bolsters of the seat
backrest
You can adjust the contour of the fron tseats
individually so as to provide optimum support
for your back and sides.
X Make sure that the key is in position 1or
2 (Y page 143) in the ignition lock. Adjusting the 4-way lumbar support
You can adjust the contour of the front seat
backrests individually to provide optimum
support for your back. :
To raise the backrest contour
; To soften the backrest contour
= To lower the backrest contour
? To harden the backrest contour Folding the front seats forwar
d(EASY-
ENTRY, G-Class Cabriolet)
General notes G
WARNING
Make sure that nobody can become trapped
when moving the seat. If there is a risk of
someone becoming trapped, press the seat
adjustmen tswitch on the door.
! Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats when moving
the seat back .There is a risk that the seats
and/or the objects could be damaged. :
Backrest
; Seat release lever
The EASY-ENTRY feature makes it easier for
passengers to get in and out of the rear com-
partment.
Folding the seat forward !
Make sure that you only fold back-
rest :forwards when the EASY-ENTRY
procedure is complete. Otherwise, you may
damage the multicontour seat switch and
the centre console.
X Pull seat release lever ;upwards in the
direction of the arrow.
The EASY-ENTRY feature is activated. 94
SeatsSeats, steering wheel and mirrors

The following adjustments are made:
R
the seat cushion and head restraint move
down.
R the seat moves forwards or backwards,
depending on the starting position.
R backrest :tilts forwards.
R on the driver's side, the steering wheel
moves upwards and towards the dash-
board.
X Fold backrest :forwards in the direction
of the arrow.
Folding the seat back X
Push backrest :back until the seat
engages.
The seat cushion, head restraint, backrest
and steering wheel (driver's side) move
back to their original positions.
For safety reasons, the seat only moves to
its original position if this is in frontoft he
EASY-ENTRY position.
i Store the seat position using the memory
function (Y page 102).
i If your seat position is behind the EASY-
ENTRY position, you can return to this posi-
tion by pressing one of the memory but-
tons. Foot anti-entrapment feature Interrupting the EASY-ENTRY feature To interrupt the EASY-ENTRY feature you can
do the following:
X
Press one of the seat adjustment buttons
(Y page 92).
X Press the memory function adjustment but-
ton (Y page 102).
X Move the steering wheel adjustment lever
(Y page 97). Switching the seat heating on/off
General notes G
WARNING
Repeatedly setting the seat heating to level
3 may result in excessive seat temperatures.
The health of passengers that have limited
temperature sensitivity or a limited ability to
react to excessively high temperatures may
be affected or they may even suffer burn-like
injuries. Therefore, do not use seat heating
level 3repeatedly.
The red indicator lamps in the button indicate
the heating level you have selected.
X Make sure that the key is in position 1or
2 in the ignition lock.
i If the battery voltage is too low, the seat
heating may switch off.
Switching the front-seat heating on/off Seats
95Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z

X
To switc hon:press button :repeatedly
until the desired heating level is set.
X To switch off: press button:repeatedly
until all the indicator lamps go out.
i The system automatically switches down
from level 3to level2after approximately 8
minutes.
The system automatically switches down
from level 2to level1 after approximately
10 minutes.
The system automatically switches off
approximately 35 minutes after it is set to
level 1.
Switching the rear-seat heating on/off X
To switch on: press button:repeatedly
until the desired heating level is set.
X To switch off: press button:repeatedly
until all the indicator lamps go out.
i The system automatically switches down
from level 3to level2after approximately 8
minutes.
The system automatically switches down
from level 2to level1 after approximately
10 minutes.
The system automatically switches off
approximately 35 minutes after it is set to
level 1. Problems with the seat heating If the on-board voltage is too low, the seat
heating is switched off automatically.
X
Switch off electrical consumers which you
do not need, such as the rear window heat-
ing or interior lighting.
If the on-board voltage is only interrupted
briefly, the seat heating will switch back on
automatically. If the seat heating is not
switched on automatically:
X switch the seat heating on manually
(Y page 95) 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 selec-
ted.
X
Make sure that the key is in position 1or
2 (Y page 143) in the ignition lock.
X To switch on: press button:repeatedly
until the desired ventilation level is set.
i If you open the side windows and the slid-
ing sunroof using the key (Y page 78), the
driver's seat ventilation automatically
switches to the highest level.
X To switch off: press button:repeatedly
until all the indicator lamps go out. 96
SeatsSeats, steering wheel and mirrors

i
If the battery voltage is too low, the seat
ventilation may switch off.
Problems with the seat ventilation If one or all of the indicator lamps in the seat
ventilation button are flashing, the seat ven-
tilatio nhas switched off automatically. The
vehicle's electrical system voltage is too low
because too many electrical consumers are
switched on.
X Switch off electrical consumers that you do
no tn eed, such as the rear window heating
or interior lighting.
Once the battery is sufficiently charged, the
seat ventilation will switch back on auto-
matically. Steering wheel
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driving.
Adjusting the steering wheel while driving
could cause the driver to lose control of the
vehicle.
The electrical steering wheel adjustment can
be operated at any time. Therefore, do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Children
having unsupervised access to a vehicle could
result in an acciden tand/o rserious personal
injury. Adjusting the steering wheel
:
To adjust the steering wheel height
; To adjust the steering wheel position
(fore-and-aft adjustment)
i If the driver's door is open, the steering
wheel can be adjusted for up to
30 minutes after the ignition has been
switched off.
i Further related subjects:
R EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature
(Y page 98)
R Storing settings (Y page 102) Steering wheel heating
Switching on/off :
To switch on the steering-wheel heating
; To switch off the steering-wheel heating
= Indicator lamp
The steering-wheel heating heats the leather
areas of the steering wheel. Steering wheel
97Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z