warning MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS SUV 2015 Repair Manual

Useful information
iThis Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional equip- ment of your vehicle available at the time of
publication of the Operator's Manual.
Country-specific differences are possible.
Please note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all features described. This
also applies to safety-related systems and
functions.
iRead the information on qualified special-
ist workshops: ( Ypage 28).
Notes on breaking-in a new vehicle
Important safety notes
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after sev-
eral hundred kilometers of driving. Compen-
sate for this by applying greater force to the
brake pedal.
The first 1000 miles (1500 km)
The more you look after the engine when it is
new, the more satisfied you will be with its
performance in the future. R You should therefore drive at varying vehi-
cle and engine speeds for the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km).
R Avoid heavy loads, e.g. driving at full throt-
tle, during this period.
R Change gear in good time, before the tach-
ometer needle is Ôof the way to the red
area of the tachometer.
R Do not manually shift to a lower gear to
brake the vehicle.
R Try to avoid depressing the accelerator
pedal beyond the point of resistance (kick-
down).
R Only select shift ranges 3,2 or 1when driv-
ing slowly, e.g. in mountainous terrain. After 1,000 miles (1,500 km), you can
increase the engine speed gradually and bring
the vehicle to full speed.
Additional breaking-in notes for AMG vehi- cles:
R Do not drive faster than 85 mph
(140 km/h) for the first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km).
R Only allow the engine to reach a maximum
engine speed of 4,500 rpm briefly.
R Change gear in good time.
R Avoid driving off-road before the differen-
tial oil change at 2,000 miles (3,000 km).
R Ideally, for the first 1,000 miles (1,500 km),
drive in program C.
iYou should also observe these breaking-
in notes if the engine or parts of the drive
train on your vehicle have been replaced.
iAlways observe the respective speed lim-
its.
AMG vehicles with self-locking rear
axle differential
Change the oil after a breaking-in period of
2,000 miles (3,000 km) to improve protection
of the differential. This oil change prolongs
the service life of the differential. Have the oil change carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop. Mercedes-Benz recommends that
you use an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for this purpose.
Driving
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell can restrict thepedal travel or obstruct a depressed pedal.
The operating and road safety of the vehicle is
jeopardized. There is a risk of an accident.
Make sure that all objects in the vehicle are
stowed correctly, and that they cannot enter
102Driving
Driving and parking

the driver's footwell. Install the floormats
securely and as specified in order to ensure
sufficient clearance for the pedals. Do not useloose floormats and do not place floormats ontop of one another.
GWARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correct usage of the pedals, e.g.:
R shoes with thick soles
R shoes with high heels
R slippers
There is a risk of an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensure correct
usage of the pedals.
GWARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect, for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
GWARNING
If the parking brake has not been fully
released when driving, the parking brake can:
R overheat and cause a fire
R lose its hold function.
There is a risk of fire and an accident. Release
the parking brake fully before driving off.
!Warm up the engine quickly. Do not use
the engine's full performance until it has
reached operating temperature.
Only shift the automatic transmission to
the desired drive position when the vehicle
is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery
roads. You could otherwise damage the
drive train.
!Avoid high engine speeds when the
engine is cold. The engine's service life
could otherwise be significantly shortened.
Do not use the engine's full performance
until it has reached operating temperature.
!AMG vehicles: at low engine oil temper-
atures below 68 ‡ (+20 †), the maximum
engine speed is restricted in order to pro-
tect the engine. To protect the engine and
maintain smooth engine operation, avoid
driving at full throttle when the engine is
cold.
SmartKey positions
gTo remove the SmartKey
1Power supply for some consumers, such
as the windshield wipers
2Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive position
3To start the engine
As soon as the ignition is switched on, all the
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster light up. If an indicator lamp does not go out after
starting the engine or lights up while driving,
see ( Ypage 162).
If the SmartKey is in position 0in the ignition
lock for an extended period of time, it can no
longer be turned in the ignition lock. The
steering is then locked. To unlock, remove the SmartKey and reinsert it into the ignition lock.
The steering is locked when you remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock.
Driving103
Driving an d parking
Z

XRemove the SmartKey when the engine is
switched off.
The starter battery could otherwise be dis-
charged.
If you cannot turn the SmartKey in the ignition
lock, the starter battery may not be charged
sufficiently. X Check the starter battery and charge it if
necessary ( Ypage 219).
or
X Jump-start the vehicle ( Ypage 220).
iYou can only remove the SmartKey if:
R the SmartKey is in position 0in the igni-
tion lock.
R the automatic transmission selector
lever is in P.
Starting the engine
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces with-
out sufficient ventilation.
GWARNING
Flammable materials introduced through
environmental influence or by animals can
ignite if in contact with the exhaust system orparts of the engine that heat up. There is a risk
of fire.
Carry out regular checks to make sure that
there are no flammable foreign materials in
the engine compartment or in the exhaust
system.
!Do not depress the accelerator when
starting the engine.
Starting procedure
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion P.
The transmission position display in the
multifunction display shows P.
iFor further information about the auto-
matic transmission, see ( Ypage 105).
iIf you depress the brake when starting the
engine, pedal travel is unusually long and
there is less pedal resistance.
X Make sure that the parking brake is
applied.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 3
( Y page 103) in the ignition lock and release
it as soon as the engine is running.
iYou can also use the touch-start function.
To do this, turn the SmartKey to position 3
( Y page 103) and release it immediately.
The engine then starts automatically.
Pulling away
Automatic transmission
GWARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do not simultaneously accelerate.
!Only shift the automatic transmission to
reverse gear Ror park position Pwhen the
vehicle is stationary. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be damaged.
!Do not depress the accelerator pedal
while depressing the brake pedal. This
impairs engine performance and results in
premature wear on the brake system and
drivetrain.
104Driving
Driving and pa rking

!If a warning tone sounds and the
Release Park. BrakeRelease Park. Brakemessage appears
in the multifunction display, the parking
brake is still applied. Release the parkingbrake.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep itdepressed.
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-tion Dor R.
iBefore driving off, wait until the gear
change is fully completed.
X Release the parking brake ( Ypage 111).
X Release the brake pedal.
X Carefully depress the accelerator pedal.
iIt is only possible to shift the automatic
transmission from position Pto a different
position if you depress the brake pedal.
Only then is the selector lever lock
released.
iThe vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away. The locking knobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at
any time.
You can also deactivate the automatic lock- ing feature ( Ypage 147).
iUpshifts take place at higher engine
speeds after a cold start. This helps the
catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature more quickly.
Hill start assist
GWARNING
After a short time, hill start assist will no lon-
ger brake your vehicle and it could roll away.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Therefore, quickly move your foot from the
brake pedal to the accelerator pedal. Never
leave the vehicle when it is held by hill startassist.
Hill start assist helps you when pulling away
forwards or in reverse on an uphill gradient. It holds the vehicle for a short time after you
have removed your foot from the brake pedal.
This gives you enough time to move your footfrom the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal
and to depress it before the vehicle begins to
roll.
X Take your foot off the brake pedal.
iOnce you have taken your foot off the
brake pedal, the vehicle is held for around
one second.
X Pull away.
Hill start assist will not function if: R you are pulling away on a level road or on a
downhill gradient.
R the transmission is in position N.
R the parking brake is applied.
R ESP ®
is malfunctioning.
ECO start/stop function (AMG vehi-
cles)
In the Digital Operator's Manual, you will find
general notes on and information about: R Deactivating/activating the ECO start/
stop function
R Automatic engine switch-off/engine start
Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do not simultaneously accelerate.
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
Automatic transmission105
Driving and parking
Z

Information in the Digital Operator's
Manual
In the Digital Operator's Manual you will find
information on the following topics: RTransmission position and drive program
display
R Transmission positions
R Changing gear
R Driving tips
R Program selector button
R Steering wheel paddle shifters
R Automatic drive program
R Manual drive program
R Shift ranges
R Problems with the transmission
Manual drive program
General information
The manual drive program is only available on AMG vehicles . In manual drive program M,
you can permanently change gear yourself by
using the steering wheel paddle shifters. The
transmission must be in position D. The gear
currently selected and engaged is shown in
the multifunction display.
Manual drive program Mdiffers from drive
programs Eand Swith regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes.
Switching on the manual drive program
X Shift the transmission to position D.
X Press the program selector button repeat-
edly until Mappears in the multifunction
display, see Digital Operator's Manual.
Upshifting
!In manual drive program M, the automatic
transmission does not shift up automati-
cally even when the engine limiting speed
for the current gear is reached. When the engine limiting speed is reached, the fuel
supply is cut to prevent the engine from
overrevving. Always make sure that the
engine speed does not reach the red area of
the tachometer. There is otherwise a risk of
engine damage.
X If relevant gearshift recommendation :
appears in the multifunction display on the instrument cluster, pull on the right-hand
steering wheel paddle shifter (see the Dig-
ital Operator's Manual).
The automatic transmission shifts to rec-
ommended gear ;.
Information in the Digital Operator's
Manual
In the Digital Operator's Manual you will find
information on the following topics:
R Downshifting
R Selecting the optimal gear for maximum
acceleration
R Kickdown
R Switching off the manual drive program
Refueling
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. If you handle fuel
incorrectly, there is a risk of fire and explo-
sion.
You must avoid fire, open flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Switch off the engine
and, if applicable, the auxiliary heating before
refueling.
Refueling107
Driving and pa rking
Z

GWARNING
Fuel is poisonous and hazardous to health.
There is a risk of injury.
You must make sure that fuel does not comeinto contact with your skin, eyes or clothing
and that it is not swallowed. Do not inhale fuel
vapors. Keep fuel away from children.
If you or others come into contact with fuel,
observe the following:
R Wash away fuel from skin immediately
using soap and water.
R If fuel comes into contact with your eyes,
immediately rinse them thoroughly with
clean water. Seek medical assistance with-
out delay.
R If fuel is swallowed, seek medical assis-
tance without delay. Do not induce vomit-ing.
R Immediately change out of clothing which
has come into contact with fuel.
!Do not use diesel to refuel vehicles with a
gasoline engine. Even small amounts of the wrong fuel result in damage to the fuel sys-
tem and engine.
!Do not switch on the ignition if you acci-
dentally refuel with the wrong fuel. Other-
wise, the fuel will enter the fuel lines. Notify
a qualified specialist workshop and have
the fuel tank and fuel lines drained com-
pletely.
!Overfilling the fuel tank could damage the
fuel system.
!Take care not to spill any fuel on painted
surfaces. You could otherwise damage the
paintwork.
!Use a filter when refueling from a fuel can.
Otherwise, the fuel lines and/or injection
system could be blocked by particles from
the fuel can.
If you overfill the fuel tank, pressure may build
up in the fuel tank. This could cause fuel to
spray out when the fuel pump nozzle is
removed. There is a risk of injury. The fuel tank is full when the fuel pump nozzle first
switches off. End the refueling process.
For further information on fuel and fuel quality
( Y page 259).
Refueling
Vehicles with a fuel filler flap
Example: G 550 fuel filler cap :
To open the fuel filler flap
;Tire pressure table
=Fuel type
?To insert the fuel filler cap
When you open or close the vehicle with the
SmartKey, the fuel filler flap is automatically
unlocked or locked.
The position of the fuel filler cap is displayed 8 in the instrument cluster. The arrow
next to the filling pump indicates the side of
the vehicle. The fuel filler flap is located to the rear on the right.
Opening the fuel filler cap
X Switch the engine off.
iWhen the engine is running and the fuel
filler flap is open, the yellow reserve fuel
warning lamp and the =(USA only)
or ; (Canada only) Check Engine warn-
ing lamp may light up.
Further information about warning and indi-
cator lamps in the instrument cluster can
be found in the Digital Operator's Manual.
108Refueling
Driving and parking

Problems with the fuel and fuel tank
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
Fuel is leaking from the
vehicle.The fuel line or the fuel tank is defective.
GWARNING
Risk of explosion or fire.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0(Y page 103) immediately and
remove it.
X Do not restart the engine under any circumstances.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
The fuel filler flap can-
not be opened.The fuel filler flap is not unlocked. or
The SmartKey batteries are discharged. X Unlock the vehicle ( Ypage 72).
or
X Unlock the vehicle using the mechanical key ( Ypage 73).
X Open the rear door.
X Manually unlock the fuel filler flap using the emergency release (Y page 109).
The fuel filler flap is unlocked, but the opening mechanism is jam- med.
X Manually unlock the fuel filler flap using the emergency release(Y page 109).
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
Parking
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
R release the parking brake.
R shift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
R start the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
GWARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact withhot parts of the exhaust system or exhaust
gas flow. There is a risk of fire.
Park the vehicle so that no flammable mate-
rials come into contact with parts of the vehi- cle which are hot. Take particular care not to
park on dry grassland or harvested grainfields.
110Parking
Driving and parking

GWARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect,for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
Switching off the engine
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect, for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parkingbrake.
Information in the Digital Operator'sManual
A description of how to switch off the engine
can be found in the Digital Operator's Manual.
Parking brake
GWARNING
If you must brake the vehicle with the parking brake, the braking distance is considerably
longer and the wheels could lock. There is anincreased danger of skidding and accidents.
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.
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi- cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
R release the parking brake.
R shift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
R start the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
iWhen you apply parking brake ;to brake
the vehicle, the brake lamps do not light up.
X To apply: pull parking brake ;up firmly.
Parking brake ;is applied.
When the ignition is switched on or the
engine is running, the F(USA only) or
J (Canada only) indicator lamp is lit in
the instrument cluster.
Parking111
Driving and parking
Z

XTo release: depress the brake pedal and
keep it depressed.
The selector lever lock is released.
X Pull parking brake ;up firmly.
X Press release button :on parking
brake ;and move parking brake ;down
to the stop.
When the ignition is switched on or the
engine is running, the F(USA only)
or ! (Canada only) indicator lamp goes
out in the instrument cluster.
iIf you pull away with parking brake ;
applied, a warning tone sounds.
Parking the vehicle for a long period
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than
four weeks, the battery may be damaged by
exhaustive discharge.
X Connect a trickle charger.
iYou can obtain information about trickle
chargers from a qualified specialist work-
shop.
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than
six weeks, the vehicle may suffer damage as a result of lack of use.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop and
seek advice.
Driving tips
Information in the Digital Operator's
Manual
In the Digital Operator's Manual you will find
information on the following topics: R
General driving tips
R Engine oil R
Braking
- Important safety notes
- Downhill gradients
- Heavy and light loads
- Wet roads
- Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
- New brake pads/linings
- Servicing the brakes
- AMG high-performance and ceramic
brakes
R Driving on wet roads
R Winter driving
- General notes
- Driving with summer tires
- Slippery road surfaces
R Off-road driving
- General notes
- Driving on sand
- Tire ruts and gravel roads
- Driving over obstacles
R Traveling uphill
- Approach/departure angle
- Maximum gradient-climbing capability
- Hilltops
- Driving downhill
Driving systems
Cruise control
Important safety notes
GWARNING
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.
112Driving systems
Driving an d parking

Selecting cruise control
XCheck whether LIM indicator lamp ;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 A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes out. Cruise control is selected.
Storing, maintaining and calling up aspeed
Storing and maintaining the current speed
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 :
or down ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
iCruise 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 stored speed
GWARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it is lower
than the current speed, the vehicle deceler-
ates. 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 condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again. X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated and adjusts the
vehicle's speed to the last speed stored.
iIf no speed is stored, cruise control stores
the current speed and maintains it.
Setting a speed
Adjusting
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 :.
X To decrease the speed: press the cruise
control lever down ?.
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)
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up :
for a higher speed or down ?for a lower
speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Making adjustments in 5 mph increments
(10 km/h increments):
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up :
or down ?to beyond the pressure point.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
iCruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the last speed stored after you have fin- ished overtaking.
114Driving systems
Driving an d parking