2008 MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS SUV trailer

Driving sys
tems 113
If the call is connected, the call duration
appears in the multi-function display. If it is
stored in the phone book, the name is also
displayed. Otherwise, the number dialled is
displayed.
or
X If you do not wish to make a call, press the
ì button.
Redialling The on-board computer stores the last phone
numbers which were dialled.
X
Press the èor· button to select the
Telephone menu.
X Press the íbutton to call up the most
recently dialled number in the redial mem-
ory.
X Press the jork button to select the
desired name or number.
X Press the íbutton to start dialling. Driving systems
Overview of driving systems
The vehicle's driving systems are described
on the following pages:
R Cruise control and variable Speedtronic
which you can use to control the speed of
the vehicle
R Ultrasonic reversing aid*, which helps you
park and manoeuvre
R Reversing camera *,which helps you when
parking and manoeuvring
You will find further information about driving
off-road in the "Operation" section
(Y page 172). Cruise control
Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. On long and steep downhill
gradients, especially if the vehicle is laden or
towing a trailer, you must select shift range
1, 2or 3in 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. G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This
could cause the drive wheels to lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 30 km/h. G
Risk of accident
Cruise control cannot take account of road
and traffic conditions.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when cruise control is activated.
Cruise control is only an aid designed to
assist driving. You are responsible for the Cont
rols
* option al
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Driving sys
tems 115
Calling up the last speed stored G
Risk of accident
Only select a stored speed if you know what
that speed is and whether it is suitable for
the current situation. Otherwise, sudden
acceleration or braking could endanger you
or others.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 3.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control adjusts the vehicle’s speed
to the last speed stored.
i G 320 CDI: if no speed is stored, cruise
control stores the current speed and main-
tains it.
Setting a speed X
Press the cruise control lever up 1for a
higher speed or down 4for a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored.
i Cruise 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.
Making adjustments in 1 km/hincre-
ments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever up
1 for a higher speed or down 4for a
lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards 6.
or
X Brake.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow 5.
Variable Speedtronic is selected. LIM indi-
cator lamp 2in the cruise control lever
lights up. Cruise control is automatically deactivated if,
for example:
R
you are driving at less than 30 km/h
R ESP ®
is intervening
R you move the selector lever to Nwhile driv-
ing
R G 320 CDI: you engage a differential lock
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. Speedtronic
Variable Speedtronic helps you to avoid
exceeding a specified speed, e. g. when driv-
ing through varying speed limits in built-up
areas. On long and steep downhill gradients,
especially if the vehicle is laden or towing a
trailer, you must select shift range 1,2or 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. G
Risk of accident
Never depress the brake pedal continu-
ously while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. Controls
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Driving sys
tems 119
!
When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer towbars. The ultra-
sonic reversing aid does not detect such
objects when they are in the immediate
vicinity of the vehicle. You could damage
the vehicle or the objects.
Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic
car wash, a lorry's compressed-air brakes
or a pneumatic drill could cause the ultra-
sonic reversing aid to malfunction.
Minimum distance Centre Approximately 30 cm
Corners Approximately 30 cm
If there is an obstacle within this range, all
warning displays flash and a warning tone
sounds. If the distance falls below the mini-
mum clearance, it may no longer be shown.
Warning displays
The warning display shows the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle.
Station wagon: the warning display is in the
rear next to the tailgate.
Cabriolet: the warning display is on the front-
passenger side at the top on the roll bar. Example: station wagon
The warning display is divided into four yellow
and two red segments. If you hear a warning
tone and all segments light up briefly, the
ultrasonic reversing aid is operational.
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the
vehicle's distance to the obstacle.
From the:
R
fourth segment you will hear an intermit-
tent warning tone
R fifth segment you will hear a faster inter-
mittent warning tone
R sixth segment you will hear a very fast inter-
mittent warning tone. You have reached
the minimum distance. Trailer towing The ultrasonic reversing aid is deactivated
when you connect the trailer to your vehicle
electrically.
!
The ultrasonic reversing aid measures
the minimum detection range to an obsta-
cle from the bumper, not the ball coupling
or the spare wheel. Reversing camera* (Station wagon)
The reversing camera is an optical aid. It
shows the area behind your vehicle in the
COMAND APS display. G
Risk of injury
Make sure that no persons or animals are
in the manoeuvring range. Otherwise, they
could be injured.
The reversing camera is in the tailgate above
the rear window wiper. Controls
* optional
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Air conditioning
121
i
The reversing camera also functions
when towing a trailer.
Switching off the reversing camera X
Shift the automatic transmission to P,Nor
D.
or
X In COMAND APS, activate another func-
tion. (See the separate COMAND APS oper-
ating instructions.) Air conditioning
General notes
The vehicle is equipped with the Thermatic
air-conditioning system. Thermatic combines
an automatic heating and ventilation system
with a cooling system.
Thermatic controls the temperature and the
humidity of the vehicle interior and filters out
undesirable substances from the air.
Thermatic is only operational when the
engine is running. Optimum operation is ach-
ieved only when you drive with the side win-
dows and sliding/tilting sunroof* closed.
i Ventilate the vehicle for a brief period
during warm weather, e.g. using the sum-
mer opening feature (Y page 85). This will
speed up the cooling process and the desired interior temperature will be
reached more quickly.
i The integrated filter filters out most par-
ticles of dust and completely filters out pol-
len. A clogged filter reduces the amount of
air supplied to the vehicle interior. For this
reason, you should always observe the
interval for replacing the filter, which is
specified in the Service Booklet. As it
depends on environmental conditions, e.g.
heavy air pollution, the interval may be
shorter than stated in the Service Booklet. G
Risk of accident
Observe the settings recommended on the
following pages. The windows could other-
wise mist up. This may obstruct your view
of the traffic situation, thereby causing an
accident. Cont
rols
* option al
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Tyres and wheels
165G
Risk of accident
Should the tyre pressure drop repeatedly:
R Check the tyre for foreign bodies.
R Check whether the wheel is losing air or
the valve is leaking.
Tyre pressure that is too low has a negative
effect on the vehicle’s active safety, which
could lead to your causing an accident.
Tyre pressure changes by approximately
0.1 bar for every 10 °C change in ambient
temperature.
If you measure the tyre pressure in enclosed
spaces where the temperature differs from
the outside temperature, you will have to cor-
rect the measured value accordingly.
When the vehicle is driven, the tyre tempera-
ture, and with it the tyre pressure, will
increase depending on the road speed and
the load on the tyres.
Therefore, you should only correct tyre pres-
sures when the tyres are cold.
The pressure of warm tyres should only be
corrected if it is too low for the current oper-
ating conditions. Driving with tyre pressure that is too high or
too low can:
R
shorten the service life of the tyres
R increase the likelihood of tyre damage
R have a negative effect on handling charac-
teristics (e.g. by causing aquaplaning)
i The tyre pressure values given for low
loads are minimum values which offer you
good ride comfort characteristics.
However, you can, also use the values given
for higher loads. These are permissible and
will not adversely affect the running of the
vehicle.
Also check the tyre pressure of the spare
wheel regularly. H
Environmental note
Check the tyre pressure regularly, at least
every 14 days. Tyre pressure monitor*
The tyre pressure monitor only functions if
the correct wheel electronics are fitted to all
wheels. These monitor the pressure in all four
tyres, which you have set when restarting the
tyre pressure monitor. The monitor warns you
when the pressure drops in one or more of
the tyres.
The function of the tyre pressure monitor is
limited or delayed if:
R snow chains are fitted to your vehicle's
tyres
R road conditions are wintry
R you are driving on sand or gravel
R you adopt a very sporty driving style (cor-
nering at high speeds or driving with high
rates of acceleration)
R you are towing a very heavy or large trailer
R you are driving with a heavy load (in the
vehicle or on the roof) G
Risk of accident
The tyre pressure monitor does not warn
you of an incorrectly set tyre pressure. The
table on the inside of the fuel filler flap will Operation
* optional
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Driving
tips 170 Braking
G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This
could cause the drive wheels to lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid. G
Risk of accident
Make sure that other road users are not
endangered by your braking.
Downhill gradients On long and steep downhill gradients, espe-
cially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer,
you must select shift range 1,2or 3in good
time.
i This also applies if you have activated
cruise control or Speedtronic.
This will use the braking effect of the engine,
so less braking will be required to maintain
the speed. This relieves the load on the brake
system and prevents the brakes from over-
heating and wearing too quickly. If you need
additional braking, depress the brake pedal
repeatedly rather than continuously. Heavy and light loads If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately, but
drive on for a short while. This allows the air-
flow to cool the brakes more quickly.
G
Risk of accident
Never depress the brake pedal continu-
ously while the vehicle is in motion, e.g.
never cause the brakes to rub by applying
constant slight pedal pressure. This causes
the brake system to overheat, increases
the braking distance and can lead to the
brakes failing completely.
If the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionally test their effective-
ness. To do this, brake more firmly from a
higher speed. This improves the grip of the
brakes.
Wet roads If driving in heavy rain for a prolonged period
of time without braking, there may be a
delayed reaction from the brakes when brak-
ing for the first time. You must brake harder.
Therefore, you must maintain a greater dis-
tance from the vehicle in front.Brake firmly after driving on a wet road. This
way the brake discs will become warm, drying
more quickly, which will protect them against
corrosion.
Limited braking performance on salted
roads G
Risk of accident
The layer of salt on the brake discs and the
brake pads/linings may cause a delay in
the braking effect, resulting in a signifi-
cantly longer braking distance, which could
lead to an accident.
To avoid this danger, you should:
R occasionally brake carefully, without put-
ting other road users at risk, when you
are driving on salted roads. This helps to
remove any salt that may have started to
build up on the brake discs and the brake
pads/linings.
R maintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead and drive with particular care.
R carefully apply the brakes at the end of a
trip and immediately after commencing a
new trip, so that salt residues are
removed from the brake disc. Operation
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Off-road driving
172 Driving on flooded roads
If you have to drive on stretches of road on
which water has collected, please bear in
mind that:
R the maximum permissible still water depth
is 50 cm
R you should drive no faster than at walking
pace
! Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in
front or in the opposite direction create
waves. This may cause the maximum per-
missible water depth to be exceeded.
You must observe these notes. Otherwise,
damage may occur to the engine, electrics
and transmission. Parking the vehicle after high engine
loading
! G 320 CDI: The vehicle's turbocharger
can become very hot at high engine load,
e.g. during:
R trailer towing
R longer motorway journeys at high speed
R longer journeys through mountainous
terrain
Let the engine run for approximately
another two minutes while the vehicle is
stationary before stopping the engine. This
way, the turbocharger can cool down more
effectively. Off-road driving
Points to remember
G
Risk of accident
Drive slowly in rough terrain with which you
are unfamiliar. This will allow you to detect
unexpected obstacles more easily and,
therefore, to reduce the risk of an accident.
Do not make U-turns on mountain roads.
Otherwise, the vehicle could tip over. If a
slope is too steep for the vehicle, drive back
in reverse gear.
Do not drive at an angle up steep inclines.
Otherwise, the vehicle could tip over. If you
drive up a steep incline at an angle and the
vehicle threatens to overturn, steer into the
line of fall immediately.
Never allow the vehicle to roll backwards.
The braking effect of the engine cannot be
utilised in neutral. If you only use the
service brake, you could lose control of the
vehicle. G
Risk of accident
Grains of sand, particles of dirt and other
abrasive materials can enter the brake sys-
tem. This can lead to excessive wear and
unpredictable braking efficiency. Operation
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Trailer towing*
178 cialist workshop which has the necessary
specialist knowledge and tools to carry out
the work required.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use
a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for this
purpose. In particular, work relevant to
safety or on safety-related systems must be
carried out at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
X Have the headlamps switched over at a
qualified specialist workshop, e. g. a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. G
Risk of accident
Have your headlamps switched back to
asymmetrical dipped beam if you are driv-
ing in a country in which traffic drives on
the same side of the road as in the country
in which your vehicle was registered. Oth-
erwise, you may dazzle the oncoming traffic
and could cause an accident. Trailer towing*
Notes on towing a trailer
G
Risk of accident
When reversing the vehicle towards the
trailer, make sure there is nobody between
the trailer and the vehicle.
Couple and uncouple the trailer carefully. If
you do not couple the trailer to the towing
vehicle correctly, the trailer could become
detached.
Make sure that the following values are not
exceeded:
R the permissible trailer drawbar nose-
weight
R the permissible trailer load
R the permissible rear axle load of the tow-
ing vehicle
R the maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight of both the towing vehicle and the
trailer
You will find the applicable permissible val-
ues, which must not be exceeded, in the
vehicle documents.
You will find the values approved by the
manufacturer on the vehicle identification plates and those for the towing vehicle in
the "Technical data" section.
You will find installation dimensions and loads
in the "Technical data" section
(Y page 274).
The maximum permissible trailer drawbar
noseweight on the ball coupling is:
R 140 kg (long-wheelbase station wagon)
R 115 kg (short-wheelbase station wagon
and cabriolet)
However, the actual noseweight must not
exceed the value given on the trailer coupling
and trailer identification plates. The lowest
weight applies.
! Use a drawbar noseweight as close as
possible to the maximum permissible nose-
weight. Do not use a noseweight of less
than 80 kg; otherwise, the trailer may come
loose.
Note that the payload and the rear axle load
are reduced by the actual payload.
i The height of the ball coupling changes
with the load of the vehicle. If necessary,
use a trailer with a height-adjustable draw-
bar. Operation
* optional
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