mileage MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS SUV 2012 Owners Manual

New brake pads/linings
New brake pads/brake pads and discs that
have been replaced only achieve optimum
braking effect after several hundred kilome-
tres of driving. Compensate for the reduced
braking effect by applying greate rforce to the
brake pedal.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only have brake pads/linings
fitted to your vehicle which have been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
which correspond to an equivalent quality
standard. Brake pads/linings which have not
been approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
which are not of an equivalent quality could
affect your vehicle's operating safety.
High-performance brake system for
AMG vehicles The high-performance brake system is
designed for high loads. This may lead to
noise when braking. This is dependent on:
R speed
R braking force
R environmental conditions, such as temper-
ature and humidity.
The wear of individual components of the
brake system, such as the brake pads/linings
or brake discs, depends on the individual driv-
ing style and operating conditions.
For this reason, it is impossible to state a
mileage (service life) that will be valid under
all circumstances. An aggressive driving style
will lead to high wear. You can obtain further
information about this from your Mercedes-
Benz Service Centre.
Parking brake G
WARNING
If you must brake the vehicle with the parking
brake, the braking distance is considerably
longer and the wheels could lock. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident. Only use the parking brake to brake the vehi-
cle when the service brake is faulty. Do not
apply the parking brake too firmly. If the
wheels lock, release the parking brake until
the wheels begin turning again.
When you apply the parking brake to brake
the vehicle, the brake lamps do not light up.
If you drive on wet roads or dirt-covered sur-
faces, road salt and/or dirt could get into the
parking brake.
In order to prevent corrosion and a reduction
in the braking power of the parking brake,
observe the following:
R pull the parking brake upwards with the
release button depressed from time to time
before beginning the journey
(Y page 164).
R drive for approximately 100 m at a maxi-
mum speed of 20 km/h. Tyre traction
G
WARNING
Whereas the vehicle can be fully controlled at
a certain speed on dry roads, you must reduce
your speed on wet or icy roads to achieve the
same road safety. You could otherwise cause
an accident.
Pay particular attention to the road conditions
at temperatures around freezing point.
If ice has formed on the road surface (e.g.
from fog), a thin film of water rapidly forms on
the ice when you brake, considerably reduc-
ing tyre traction. Drive with particular care in
such weather conditions. Driving on slippery surfaces
! If possible, do not let the drive wheels
spin. Otherwise, you could damage the
drive train.
X Engage the differential locks if necessary
(Y page 204). 166
Driving tipsDriving and parking

Regular checking of wheels and tyres
R Regularly check the wheels and tyres of
your vehicle for damage at leas tevery 14
days, as well as after driving off-road or on
rough roads. Damage includes cuts, punc-
tures, cracks and bulges on tyres or severe
corrosio nordeformation on wheels, for
example. Damaged wheels can cause a
loss of tyre pressure.
R Regularly chec kthe tyre tread depth and
the condition of the tread across the whole
width of the tyre (Y page 323). In order to
inspect the inner side of the tyre surface,
turn the steering wheel to full lock.
R All wheels must have a valve cap to protect
the valve against dirt and moisture. Do not
fit anything onto the valve other than the
standard valve cap or avalve cap approved
by Mercedes-Ben zfor your vehicle.
Do not fit anything onto the valve, such as
tyre pressure monitoring systems.
R You should regularly check the pressure of
all your tyres including the spare wheel,
particularly prior to long trips. Adjust the
tyre pressure as necessary (Y page 328).
The service life of tyres depends on various
factors, including the following:
R driving style
R tyre pressure
R tyre mileage Tyre tread
G
WARNING
Please keep in mind that:
R tyre grip decreases rapidly on wet roads
when the tread depth is less than 3mm.
Thus, you should replace tyres that have
insufficient tread.
R winter tyres should be replaced when the
tread depth is 4mmorless, as they no lon-
ger provide adequate grip.
R the tread on a tyre may not wear evenly.
Thus, you should regularly check the tread depth and the condition of the tread across
the entire width of all tyres. If necessary,
turn the fron
twheels to full lock in order to
inspect the tyre tread more easily.
Otherwise, you could lose control of the vehi-
cle and cause an accident due to the reduced
grip of the tyres on the road. Selecting, fitting and replacing tyres
R Only fit tyres and wheels of the same type
and make.
R Only fit approved tyres of the correct size
onto the wheels.
R Tyres are supplied with a protective layer
from the factory. Run in new tyres at mod-
erate speeds for the first 100 km. They only
reach their full performance after this dis-
tance.
R Do not drive with tyres which have too little
tread depth. This otherwise significantly
reduces the traction on wet roads (aqua-
planing).
R Replace the tyres after six years at the lat-
est, regardless of wear. This also applies to
the spare wheel. Winter operation
General notes
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Observe the notes in the "Changing a wheel"
section (Y page 329). Driving with summer tyres
At temperatures below +7 †, summer tyres
lose elasticity and therefore traction and
braking power. Change the tyres on your vehi-
cle to M+S tyres. Using summer tyres at very
cold temperatures could cause tears to form,
thereby damaging the tyres permanently. Winter operation
323Wheels and tyres Z