MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS SUV 2013 Owners Manual

Driving downhill
R
Before tackling steep downhill gradients,
select shift range 1(Y page 150).
This way you use the engine's braking
effect 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.
R Observe the notes on driving in
mountainous terrain (Y page 168).
R Drive slowly.
R Do 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 roll over.
R Check that the brakes are working normally
after a long downhill stretch.
i The special off-road ABS setting
(Y page 61) enables repeated, brief,
precise locking of the front wheels, which
leads to the wheels digging into the loose
ground. Note that when the front wheels
are fully braked, they slide easily over the
surface of the ground, making it difficult to
steer. Driving systems
Cruise control
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The brake pedal moves when cruise control
brakes the vehicle. A foot in the area under
the brake pedal could become trapped. The
movement of the pedal, and therefore the
vehicle's ability to brake,

may be restricted by
objects in the area under the brake. There is
a risk of an accident and injury.
Do not place your foot under the brake pedal.
Keep the area under the brake pedal free from
obstructions. If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of
accident nor override the laws of physics.
Cruise control cannot take account of road,
weather and traffic conditions.

Cruise control
is only an aid. You are responsible for the
distance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle
speed and for braking in good time. Adjust
your driving style to the traffic conditions.
Only engage cruise control when the current
road, weather and traffic conditions permit it
to be done safely. Drive carefully and
maintain a suitable distance to the vehicle in
front.
Do not use cruise control:
R in traffic conditions that do not allow you
to drive at a constant speed, e.g. heavy
traffic, on winding roads or off-road
R on slippery road surfaces. Braking or
accelerating could cause the drive wheels
to lose traction and the vehicle could then
skid
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. On long and steep downhill
gradients, especially if the vehicle is laden,
you must select shift range 1, 2 or 3 in good
time. By doing so, you will make use of the
braking effect of the engine, which 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
conditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h).
i Cruise control should not be activated
during off-road driving. Driving systems
169
Driving and parking Z

Cruise control lever
0043
To activate or increase speed
0044 LIM indicator lamp
0087 To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
0085 To activate or reduce speed
0083 To switch between cruise control and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
0084 To deactivate cruise control
You can operate cruise control and variable
SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever.
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds.
The full range of cruise control functions will
become available again
once
you confirm the
DEF display message:
X Briefly press the 0080, 007F, 0041 or
0068 button on the multifunction steering
wheel.
or
X Briefly press the reset button on the
instrument cluster.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have
selected:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control is
selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable
SPEEDTRONIC is selected. Activation conditions To activate cruise control, all of the following
activation conditions must be fulfilled:
R
the parking brake must be released.
R you are driving faster than 20 mph
(30 km/h).
R ESP ®
must be active, but not intervening.
R the transmission must be in position D.
Selecting cruise control 0043
To activate or increase speed
0044 LIM indicator lamp
0087 To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
0085 To activate or reduce speed
0083 To switch between cruise control and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
0084 To deactivate cruise control
X Check whether LIM indicator lamp 0044 is off.
If it

is off, cruise control is already selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow 0083.
LIM indicator lamp 0044 in the cruise control
lever goes out. Cruise control is selected. 170
Driving systems
Driving and parking

Storing and maintaining the current
speed
Storing and maintaining
0043
To activate or increase speed
0044 LIM indicator lamp
0087 To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
0085 To activate or reduce speed
0083 To switch between cruise control and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
0084 To deactivate cruise control
You can store the current speed if you are
driving faster than 20 mph (30 km/h ).
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up 0043 or down 0085
.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
i Cruise control may be

unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill and downhill
gradients. 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 last speed stored G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it is lower
than the current speed, the vehicle decelerates. 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
conditions before calling
up

the stored speed.
If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again. 0043
To activate or increase speed
0044 LIM indicator lamp
0087 To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
0085 To activate or reduce speed
0083 To switch between cruise control and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
0084 To deactivate cruise control
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 0087.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated and adjusts the
vehicle's speed to the last speed stored.
i If no speed is

stored, cruise control stores
the current speed and maintains it. Driving systems
171
Driving and parking Z

Calling up the last speed stored
Storing and maintaining
0043
To activate or increase speed
0044 LIM indicator lamp
0087 To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
0085 To activate or reduce speed
0083 To switch between cruise control and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
0084 To deactivate cruise control
You can store the current speed if you are
driving faster than 20 mph (30 km/h ).
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up 0043 or down 0085
.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
i Cruise control may be

unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill and downhill
gradients. 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 last speed stored G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it is lower
than the current speed, the vehicle
decelerates. 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
conditions before calling
up

the stored speed.
If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again. 0043
To activate or increase speed
0044 LIM indicator lamp
0087 To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
0085 To activate or reduce speed
0083 To switch between cruise control and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
0084 To deactivate cruise control
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 0087.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated and adjusts the
vehicle's speed to the last speed stored.
i If no speed is

stored, cruise control stores
the current speed and maintains it. 172
Driving systems
Driving and parking

Setting a speed
Adjusting
0043
To activate or increase speed
0044 LIM indicator lamp
0087 To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
0085 To activate or reduce speed
0083 To switch between cruise control and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
0084 To deactivate cruise control
Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle
accelerates
or decelerates to
the set speed.
X To increase the speed: press the cruise
control lever up 0043.
X To decrease the speed: press the cruise
control lever down 0085.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored. Making adjustments in 1 mph increments
(1 km/h increments in Canada) 0043
To activate or increase speed
0044 LIM indicator lamp
0087 To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
0085 To activate or reduce speed
0083 To switch between cruise control and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
0084 To deactivate cruise control
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up 0043 for a higher speed or down 0085 for a
lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Adjusting in 5 mph increments (10 km/h
increments): 0043
To activate or increase speed
0044 LIM indicator lamp
0087 To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
0085 To activate or reduce speed Driving systems
173
Driving and parking Z

0083
To switch between cruise control and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
0084 To deactivate cruise control
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up 0043 or down 0085 to beyond the pressure
point.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For
example, if you accelerate briefly to
overtake, cruise control adjusts the
vehicle's speed to the last speed stored
after you have finished overtaking.
Deactivating cruise control 0043
To activate or increase speed
0044 LIM indicator lamp
0087 To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
0085 To activate or reduce speed
0083 To switch between cruise control and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
0084 To deactivate cruise control
There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
forwards 0084.
or
X Brake. or
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow 0083.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM
indicator lamp
0044 in
the cruise control lever
lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R you apply the parking brake.
R you are driving at less than 20 mph
(30 km/h).
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
.
R you shift the transmission to position N
while driving.
i The

last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. SPEEDTRONIC
Important safety notes G
WARNING
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 you fail to adapt your driving style,
SPEEDTRONIC can neither reduce the risk of
accident nor override the laws of physics.
SPEEDTRONIC cannot take account of road,
weather and traffic conditions.
SPEEDTRONIC 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
SPEEDTRONIC when the current road,
weather and traffic conditions permit it to be 174
Driving systems
Driving and parking

done safely. Drive carefully and maintain a
suitable distance to the vehicle in front.
General notes
SPEEDTRONIC brakes automatically so that
you do not
exceed
the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must
select shift range 1, 2 or 3 in good time. By
doing so, you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine, which relieves the load
on the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly. If
you need additional braking, depress the
brake pedal repeatedly rather than
continuously.
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Cruise control lever 0043
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
0044 LIM indicator lamp
0087 To call up the last speed stored
0085 To store the current speed or a lower
speed
0083 To switch between cruise control and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
0084 To deactivate variable SPEEDTRONIC
You can operate cruise control and variable
SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever. The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have
selected:
R
LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control is
selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable
SPEEDTRONIC is selected.
You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to
any

speed above 30 km/h while
the engine is running.
Selecting variable SPEEDTRONIC 0043
To activate or increase speed
0044 LIM indicator lamp
0087 To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
0085 To activate or reduce speed
0083 To switch between cruise control and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
0084 To deactivate cruise control
If you fail to adapt your driving style,
SPEEDTRONIC can neither
reduce

the risk of
accident nor override the laws of physics.
SPEEDTRONIC cannot take account of road,
weather and traffic conditions.
SPEEDTRONIC 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
SPEEDTRONIC when the current road,
weather and traffic conditions permit it to be
done safely. Drive carefully and maintain a
suitable distance to the vehicle in front.
X Check whether LIM indicator lamp 0044 is on. Driving systems
175
Driving and parking Z

If it is on, variable SPEEDTRONIC is already
selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow 0083.
LIM indicator lamp
0044
in the cruise control
lever lights up. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is
selected.
Storing the current speed 0043
To activate or increase speed
0044 LIM indicator lamp
0087 To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
0085 To activate or reduce speed
0083 To switch between cruise control and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
0084 To deactivate cruise control
You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to
any

speed above 18 km/h while
the engine is running.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up 0043 or down 0085.
The current speed is stored and shown in
the multifunction display.
i On downhill gradients, the speed can be
exceeded despite variable SPEEDTRONIC.
If this is the case, you will hear a warning
tone and the Limit Exceeded message
appears in the
multifunction

display. Apply
the brakes yourself if required. Calling up the last speed stored Calling up the last speed stored
0043
To activate or increase speed
0044 LIM indicator lamp
0087 To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
0085 To activate or reduce speed
0083 To switch between cruise control and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
0084 To deactivate cruise control
If you fail to adapt your driving style,
SPEEDTRONIC can neither
reduce

the risk of
accident nor override the laws of physics.
SPEEDTRONIC cannot take account of road,
weather and traffic conditions.
SPEEDTRONIC 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
SPEEDTRONIC when the current road,
weather and traffic conditions permit it to be
done safely. Drive carefully and maintain a
suitable distance to the vehicle in front.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 0087.
i If you call up the stored speed and your
current speed is higher, you will hear a
warning tone. The Limit Exceeded
message appears in the multifunction
display.
i If no speed is stored, variable
SPEEDTRONIC stores the current speed
and maintains it. 176
Driving systems
Driving and parking

Deactivating variable SPEEDTRONIC
There are several ways to deactivate variable
SPEEDTRONIC:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever
forwards 0084.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow 0083.
LIM indicator lamp
0044
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
automatically when you depress the
accelerator pedal beyond the pressure point
(kickdown), but only if your current speed
does not differ
by

more than 12 mph from the
stored speed. 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.
stopped 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
situation and be ready to brake.
G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly
identify other road users and complex traffic
situations.
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. G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it differs
from the current speed, the vehicle
accelerates or decelerates. If

you do not know
the stored speed, the vehicle could accelerate
or brake unexpectedly. There is a risk of an
accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic
conditions before calling up the stored speed.
If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again.
If you fail to adapt your driving style,
DISTRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk
of accident nor override the laws of physics.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take account of Driving systems
177
Driving and parking Z

road, weather and traffic conditions.
DISTRONIC PLUS 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
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 distance 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
be warned visually and acoustically.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot prevent a collision
without your intervention. An intermittent
warning tone will then sound and the distance
warning lamp will light up in the instrument
cluster. Brake immediately in order to
increase the distance from the vehicle in
front, or take evasive action, provided it is
safe to do so.
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow
vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line. Therefore,
always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when DISTRONIC PLUS is activated.
Otherwise, you may fail to recognize dangers
in time, cause an accident and injure yourself
and others.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if there is:
R the sensor is dirty or covered
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R there is the possibility of strong radar
reflections, for example, in parking
garages.
If DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.
This can happen unexpectedly, especially
when towing or in a car wash. There is a risk
of an accident. In these or similar situations,
deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS.
If you want DISTRONIC PLUS to assist you,
the following activation conditions must be fulfilled (
Y page 179) and the radar sensor
system must be operational.
General notes DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the
distance to the vehicle detected in front.
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes automatically so
that the set speed is not exceeded.
On long and steep downhill gradients,
especially if the vehicle is laden or towing a
trailer, you must select shift range
1, 2 or 3
in good time. By doing so, you will make use
of the braking effect of the engine, which
relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and
wearing too quickly.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a slower-moving
vehicle in front, your

vehicle is braked in order
to maintain the preset distance to the vehicle
in front.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control in the speed range between 20 mph
(Canada: 30 km/h) and120 mph (Canada:
200 km/h). If a vehicle is driving in front of
you, it operates in the speed range between
0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph (Canada:
200 km/h).
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on
roads with steep gradients.
As DISTRONIC PLUS transmits radar waves,
it can resemble the radar detectors of the
responsible authorities. You can refer to the
relevant chapter in the Operator's Manual if
questions are asked about this.
i USA only:
This device has been approved by the FCC
as a “Vehicular Radar System”. The radar
sensor is intended for use in an automotive
radar system only. Removal, tampering, or
altering of the device will void any
warranties, and is not permitted by the
FCC. Do not tamper with, alter, or use in
any non-approved way. 178
Driving systems
Driving and parking