winter tyres MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS SUV 2012 Owners Manual

Windscreen wipers
Problem (malfunction) ...................121
Rea rwindow wiper ........................ 120
Replacing the wiper blades ............120
Switching on/off ........................... 119
Winter
Driving in winter ............................ .168
Winter operatio n............................ 323
Winter operation
Overview ........................................ 323
Snow chains .................................. 324
Winter tyres
Limiting the speed (on-board com-
puter) ............................................. 223
M+S tyres ...................................... 324
Wiper blades
Cleaning ......................................... 298
Important safety notes ..................120
Replacing ....................................... 120 Index
19

X
To activate: press the child-proof lock
lever down in the direction of arrow ;.
X Make sure tha tthe child-proof locks are
working properly.
X To deactivate: press the child-proof lock
lever up in the direction of arrow :.
Override feature for the rear side win-
dows X
To activate/deactivate: press button:.
If indicator lamp ;is lit, operation of the
rear side windows is disabled. Operation is
only possible using the switches in the driv-
er's door. If indicator lamp ;is off, oper-
ation is possible using the switches in the
rear compartment. Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems overview
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems: R
ABS ( Anti-lock BrakingSystem)
(Y page 60)
R BAS ( Brake Assist System) (Y page 61)
R Adaptive brake lamps (Y page 61)
R ESP ®
(Electronic StabilityProgram)
(Y page 62)
R EBD ( electronic brake force distribution)
(Y page 64)
R ADAPTIVE BRAKE (Y page 64)
R Trailer stabilisation Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, the driv-
ing safety systems can neither reduce the risk
of accident nor override the laws of physics.
Driving safety systems are merely aids
designed to assist driving. You are responsi-
ble for the distance to the vehicle in front, for
vehicle speed and for braking in good time.
Always adapt your driving style to suit the
prevailing road and weather conditions as
well as the traffic conditions, and maintain a
safe distance from the vehicle in front. Drive
carefully.
i Please note that the driving safety sys-
tems described only work as effectively as
possible when there is adequate contact
between the tyres and the road surface.
Pay particular attention to the information
regarding tyres, recommended minimum
tyre tread depths etc. in the "Wheels and
tyres" section (Y page 322).
In wintry driving conditions, always use
winter tyres (M+S tyres) and, if necessary,
snow chains. Only in this way will the driv-
ing safety systems described in this section
work as effectively as possible. ABS (Anti-lockB
raking System)
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 60). 60
Driving safet
ysystemsSafety

R
Clean any mud from the tyre tread after
fording.
R Apply the brakes to dry them after fording.
R Water offers a high degree of resistance,
the ground is slippery and ,insome cases,
unstable. Therefore, it is difficult and dan-
gerous to pull away in the water.
R Ensure that a bow wave does not form as
you drive.
R Clean any mud from the tyre tread after
fording.
R Apply the brakes to dry them after fording. Parking the vehicle after heavy loads
on the engine
! Vehicles with adiesel engine: your
vehicle's exhaust gas turbocharger may get
very hot under heavy engine load, e.g. dur-
ing:
R trailer towing
R longe rmotorway journeys at high speed
R longer journeys through mountainous
terrain
X Let the engine run for approximately
another two minutes while the vehicle is
stationary before switching off the engine.
This way, the exhaust gas turbocharger can
cool down more effectively. Winter driving
General notes G
DANGER
If the exhaust pipe is blocked or adequate
ventilation is not possible, poisonous gases
such as carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the
vehicle. This is the case, e.g. if the vehicle
becomes trapped in snow. There is a risk of
fatal injury.
If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heating
running, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open
a window on the side of the vehicle that is not
facing into the wind. G
WARNING
If you have fitted snow chains to the front
wheels, they may scrape against the vehicle
body or chassis components. This could
cause damage to the vehicle or the tyres.
There is a risk of an accident.
To avoid hazardous situations:
R never fit snow chains on the front wheels
R fit snow chains to the rear wheels in pairs.
At the onset of winter, have your vehicle win-
terproofed at a qualified specialist workshop.
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y page 323).
Driving with summer tyres Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y
page 323).
Slippery road surfaces G
WARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
This increases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
pery road surfaces. Avoid sudden accelera-
tion, steering and braking manoeuvres.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Move the transmission to position N.
X Try to bring the vehicle under control by
using corrective steering.
i For more information on driving with
snow chains, see (Y page 324).168
Driving tipsDriving and parking

There are several ways to deactivate variable
SPEEDTRONIC:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards B.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes out. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is
deactivated.
Cruise control is selected.
It is not possible to deactivate variable
SPEEDTRONIC by braking.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is deactivated auto-
matically if you depress the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown), but
only if your curren tspeed does not differ by
more than 20 km/h from the stored speed.
G 350 BlueTEC: you will hear a warning tone.
Permanent SPEEDTRONIC You can use the on-board computer to limit
the speed permanently to avalue between
160 km/h(e.g. for driving on winter tyres) and
the maximum speed ( Ypage 223).
Shortly before the store dspeed is reached, it
appears in the multifunction display.
Permanent SPEEDTRONIC remains active,
even if variable SPEEDTRONIC is deactivated.
You cannot exceed the stored limit speed,
even if you depress the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown). DISTRONIC PLUS
Important safety notes G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to:
R people or animals
R stationary obstacles on the road, e.g. stop-
ped or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic As a result, DISTRONIC PLUS may neither give
warnings nor intervene in such situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly iden-
tify other road users and complex traffic sit-
uations.
In such cases, DISTRONIC PLUS may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R neither give a warning nor intervene
R accelerate unexpectedly
There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, in particular when warned to do so by
DISTRONIC PLUS. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up
to 40% of the maximum braking force. If this
braking force is insufficient, DISTRONIC PLUS
warns you visually and audibly. There is a risk
of an accident.
In such cases, apply the brakes yourself and
try to take evasive action.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk of
acciden tnor override the laws of physics.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take account of
road, weather and traffic conditions. DIS-
TRONIC PLUS is only an aid. You are respon-
sible for the distance to the vehicle in front,
for vehicle speed, for braking in good time and
for staying in lane. Only engage DISTRONIC
PLUS when the current road, weather and
traffic conditions permit it to be done safely,
and adapt your driving style accordingly.
Drive carefully and maintain a suitable dis-
tance to the vehicle in front.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a risk of collision
but cannot sufficiently decelerate the vehicle
in order to maintain the set distance, you will 182
Driving systemsDriving and parking

There is a risk of an accident.
Before leaving the vehicle, always deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
from rolling away.
The HOLD function is deactivated automati-
cally if:
R you accelerate and the transmission is in
position Dor R.
R you shift the transmission to position P.
R you depress the brake pedal again with a
certain amount of pressure until ëdis-
appears from the multifunction display.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
On steep uphill or downhill gradients or if
there is a malfunction, the transmission may
also be automatically shifted into position P.4MATIC (permanent all-wheel drive)
! Never tow the vehicle with one axle
raised. This may damage the transfer case.
Damage of this sort is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz implied warranty. All
wheels must remain either on the ground
or be fully raised. Observe the instructions
for towing the vehicle with all wheels in full
contact with the ground.
! When testing the parking brake, operate
the vehicle only briefly (for a maximum of
ten seconds) on a brake test dynamometer.
When doing this, turn the key to position
0 or 1in the ignition .Failure to do this can
cause damage to the drive train or the
brake system.
! A function or performance test should
only be carried out on atwin-axle dyna-
mometer. Before you operate the vehicle
on such a dynamometer, please consult a
qualified workshop .You could otherwise
damage the drive train or the brake system.
4MATIC ensures that all four wheels are per-
manently driven. Together with ESP ®
and
4ETS, it improves the traction of your vehicle whenever a drive wheel spins due to insuffi-
cient grip.
If a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip:
R
when pulling away, only depress the accel-
erator pedal as far as is necessary.
R accelerate less when driving.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, 4MATIC
can neither reduce the risk of accident nor
override the laws of physics. 4MATIC cannot
take account of road, weather and traffic con-
ditions. 4MATIC is only an aid. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good
time and for staying in lane. Only engage
4MATIC when the current road, weather and
traffic conditions permit it to be done safely,
and adapt your driving style accordingly.
Drive carefully and maintain a suitable dis-
tance to the vehicle in front.
i In wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if
you use winter tyres (M+ Styres), with snow
chains if necessary.
Fo rinformation abou tdriving off-road, see
(Y page 169). PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes !
When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars .PARK-
TRONIC does not detect such objects when
they are in the immediate vicinity of the
vehicle. You could damage the vehicle or
the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and
objects which absorb ultrasoni csources.
Ultrasonic sources, such as an automatic
car wash, a lorry's compressed-air brakes
or a pneumatic drill, could cause PARK-
TRONIC to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on
uneven terrain. Driving systems
197Driving and parking Z

Vehicle
Setting permanen
tSPEEDTRONIC
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Vehicle submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press :or9 to select the Limit speed (winter tyres): function.
You will see the current setting.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to adjust
permanent SPEEDTRONIC in increments of
ten (230 km/h to
160 km/h ). The
Off set-
ting switches permanent SPEEDTRONIC
off.
X Press the abutton to store the entry.
For further information on permanent SPEED-
TRONIC (Y page 182).
Switching the automatic locking feature
on/off
If you activate the Auto. door locks func-
tion, the vehicle is centrally locked above a
speed of approximately 15 km/h.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Vehicle submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press :or9 to select the Auto. door locks function.
When the Auto. door locks function is
activated, the vehicle doors are displayed
in red in the multifunction display.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
For further information on the automatic lock-
ing feature, see (Y page 74). Activating/deactivating the acoustic
locking confirmation
If you switch on the
Acoustic Lock function,
an acoustic signal sounds when you lock the
vehicle.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Vehicle submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Acoustic Lock function.
If the Acoustic Lock function is activated,
the & symbol in the multifunction dis-
play lights up red.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Heating Auxiliary heating departure time
G
WARNING
Exhaust fumes are produced when the auxili-
ary heating is in operation. Inhaling these
exhaust fumes can be poisonous. You should
therefore switch off the auxiliary heating in
confined spaces without an extraction sys-
tem, e.g. a garage. G
WARNING
When operating the auxiliary heating parts of
the vehicle can get very hot. Make sure that
the exhaust system does not under any cir-
cumstances come into contact with easily
ignitable material such as dry grass or fuels.
The material could otherwise ignite and set
the vehicle alight. Choose your parking spot
accordingly.
Operating the auxiliary heating is thus pro-
hibited at filling stations or when your vehicle
is being refuelled. You must therefore switch
off the auxiliary heating at filling stations.
! Operating the auxiliary heating/ventila-
tion draws on the vehicle battery. After you
have heated or ventilated the vehicle a Menus and submenus
223On-board computer and displays Z

Switching the fold-in mirrors when lock-
ing function on/off
When you activate the
Auto. fold in mir‐
rors function, the exterior mirrors are folded
in when the vehicle is locked. When you
unlock the vehicle and then open a door, the
exterior mirrors fold out again.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
CONVENIENCE submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press :or9 to select the Auto. fold in mirrors function.
If the Auto. fold in mirrors function is
activated, the vehicle's exterior mirror is
displayed in red in the multifunction dis-
play.
X Press the abutton to save the setting. :
To fold the exterior mirrors in or out
If you have switched the Auto. fold-infunction on and you fold the exterior mirrors
in using button :, they will not fold out auto-
matically (Y page 99).
You can then only fold out the exterior mirrors
using button :. Resetting to factory settings
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Factory settings submenu.X
Press ato confirm.
The Reset all settings? message
appears.
X Press the :or9 button to select
No or
Yes .
X Press the abutton to confirm the selec-
tion.
If you have selected Yes , the multifunction
display shows a confirmation message.
For safety reasons, not all functions are reset:
the Limit speed (winter tyres) function
in permanent SPEEDTRONIC can only be set
in the Vehicle submenu. If you want to reset
the Daytime driving lights in the
Light submenu, you must turn the key to position
1(Y
page 143) in the ignition lock. AMG menu in AMG vehicles
AMG displays :
Digital speedometer
; Gear indicator
= Upshift indicator
? Engine oil temperature
A Coolant temperature
B Status indicator for ECO start/stop func-
tion (Y page 145)
X Press =or; on the steering wheel
to select the AMG menu.
Upshift indicator UP =
indicates that the
engine has reached the overrevving range
when in the manual gearshift program.
Upshift indicator UP =
fades out other mes-
sages until you have shifted up.
If the engine oil temperature is below 80 †,
the oil temperature is shown in blue. Avoid Menus and submenus
225On-board computer and displays Z

Useful information
............................322
Important safety notes ....................322
Operation ........................................... 322
Winter operation ............................... 323
Tyre pressure .................................... 325
Changing awheel ............................. 329
Wheel and tyre combinations ..........333 321Wheels and tyres

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

Mercedes-Ben
zcannot accept responsibility
for this type of damage. M+S tyres
G
WARNING
M+S tyres with a tyre tread depth of less than
4mma re not suitable for use in winter as they
do not provide sufficient traction. There is a
risk of accident.
M+S tyres with a tread depth of less than
4 mm must be replaced. G
WARNING
The spare wheel and M+S tyres have different
tyre characteristics. Driving characteristics
can be severely impaired when you fit the
spare wheel. There is a risk of an accident.
You should therefore adapt yourd riving style
and drive carefully.H ave the spare wheel
replaced with a new wheel with an M+S tyre
at the nearest qualified specialist workshop.
At temperatures below +7 †, use winter tyres
or all-season tyres. Both types of tyre are
identified by the M+S marking.
Only winter tyres bearing the isnowflake
symbol in addition to the M+S marking pro-
vide the best possible grip in wintry road con-
ditions. Only these tyres will allow driving
safety systems such as ABS and ESP ®
to
function optimally in winter, as these tyres
have been designed specifically for driving on
snow.
Use M+S tyres of the same make and tread
on all wheels to maintain safe handling char-
acteristics.
Always observe the maximum permissible
speed specified for the M+S tyres you have
fitted.
If you fit M+S tyres that have a lower maxi-
mum permissible speed than that of the vehi-
cle, affix an appropriate warning sign in the
driver's field of vision .This can be obtained
at a qualified specialist workshop. Under these circumstances, you should also
restrict the maximum speed of the vehicle
using variable SPEEDTRONIC so that it does
not exceed the maximum permissible speed
for the M+S tyres(Y
page 178).
When you have fitted the M+S tyres:
X Check the tyre pressures (Y page 327).
X Restart the tyre pressure monitor
(Y page 328).
i You can obtain information about winter
tyres that have been approved by
Mercedes-Ben zespecially for your vehicle
at any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
i For further information about tyres, see
(Y page 333). Snow chains
! Information aboutt he use of snow chain
compatible AMG winter tyres is applicable
for AMG tyres. Use of snow chains is only
permissible with these tyres.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Ben zrecom-
mends that you only use snow chains that
have been specially approved for your vehicle
by Mercedes-Benz, or that are of a corre-
sponding standard of quality.
R only use snow chains when the road sur-
face is completely snow-covered. Remove
the snow chains as soon as possible when
you come to road that is not snow-covered.
R local regulations may restrict the use of
snow chains. Observe the appropriate reg-
ulations if you wish to fit snow chains.
R Do not exceed the maximum permissible
speed of 50 km/h.
If you intend to fit snow chains, please bear
the following points in mind:
R snow chains cannot be fitted to all wheel/
tyre combinations (Y page 62).
R fit the snow chains on all four wheels for
maximum tractive power and driving sta-
bility. Observe the manufacturer's fitting
instructions. 324
Winter operationWheels and tyres