Driving over obstacles
! Obstacles could damage the floor of the
vehicle or components of the chassis. Ask
passengers for guidance when driving over
large obstacles. The passenger should
always keep a safe distance from the
vehicle when doing so in order to avoid
injury as a result of unexpected vehicle
movements. After driving off-road or over
obstacles, check the vehicle for possible
damage, especially to the underbody and
the components of the chassis.
Observe the following rules when driving over
tree stumps, large stones and other
obstacles:
R observe the safety notes (Y page 142) and
the general notes (Y page 142) on off-road
driving.
R shift the transfer case to
LOW (Y page 126).
R avoid high engine speeds.
R select shift range 1 (Y page 123).
R make sure that you have enough ground
clearance before driving across an
obstacle.
R drive very slowly.
R try to drive straight over the center of
obstacles: front wheel first, then rear
wheel.
! Drive with particular care when driving
over an obstacle while driving up or down
a steep slope.
The vehicle could otherwise tilt and slide
sideways or tip over.
Driving in mountainous terrain
Approach/departure angle:Approach/departure angle, front;Approach/departure angle, rear:;G 55037°31°G 55 AMG33°28°
R Observe the safety notes (Y page 142) and
the general notes (Y page 142) on off-road
driving.
R Do not drive at an angle on slopes, inclines
or gradients, but instead follow the direct
line of fall. The maximum gradient-climbing
capability of your vehicle is 80%, which
corresponds to an approach/departure
angle of 38°. Note that the vehicle's
gradient-climbing capability depends on
the off-road conditions.
R Before driving on extreme uphill and
downhill gradients, shift the transfer case
to LOW (Y page 126).
R Engage the differential locks, if necessary
( Y page 129).
R Drive slowly.
R Accelerate gently and make sure that the
wheels are gripping.
R Avoid high engine speeds, except when
driving on sandy and muddy routes with
high driving resistance.
Driving tips145Driving and parkingZProCarManuals.com
RAvoid high engine speeds – drive at
appropriate engine speeds (no more than
3000 rpm).
R Use the braking power of the engine when
driving down a slope. Observe the engine
speed, do not overrev the engine.
i Further information on the maximum
engine speed can be found in the
"Tachometer" and "Technical Data"
sections.
R Select a shift range appropriate to the
gradient.
R Before tackling steep downhill gradients,
select shift range 1 (Y page 123).
R Check the brakes after driving off-road for
a long time.GWarning!
Never turn the vehicle around on steep
inclines. The vehicle might roll over. If the
vehicle cannot complete the attempted climb,
back it down in reverse gear.
i Hill start assist will aid you when pulling
away on a hill.
For more information, see "Hill start assist"
( Y page 118).
Maximum gradient-climbing capability
Do not drive at an angle on slopes, inclines or
gradients, but instead follow the direct line of
fall. The maximum gradient-climbing
capability of your vehicle is 80%, which
corresponds to an approach/departure angle
of 38°. Note that the vehicle's gradient-
climbing capability depends on the off-road
conditions.
Accelerate carefully and make sure that the
wheels do not spin when driving on steep
terrain.
i If the load on the front axle is reduced
when pulling away on a steep uphill slope,
the front wheels have a tendency to spin.
4ETS detects this and brakes the wheels
accordingly. The rear wheel torque is
increased, making it easier to drive off.
Brow of hill
When driving on an uphill gradient, reduce
pressure slightly on the accelerator
immediately before reaching the top of the hill
(do not shift the transmission to position N).
Use the vehicle's own impetus to drive over
the top of the hill.
This style of driving prevents:
R the vehicle from lifting off the ground on the
brow of a hill
R loss of traction
R the vehicle from traveling too quickly down
the other side
Driving downhill
R Before tackling steep downhill gradients,
select shift range 1 (Y page 123).
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 146).
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 rollover.
R Check that the brakes are working normally
after a long downhill stretch.
i The special off-road ABS( Y page 56)
enables accurate, brief and repeated
locking of the front wheels, causing them
to dig 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.
146Driving tipsDriving and parking
ProCarManuals.com
XAccelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.XBriefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ;.XRemove 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.
Calling up the last speed stored
GWarning
The set speed stored in memory should only
be set again if prevailing road conditions and
legal speed limits permit. Possible
acceleration or deceleration differences
arising from returning to the preset speed
could cause an accident and/or serious injury
to you and others.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.XRemove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated and adjusts the
vehicle's speed to the last speed stored.
i G 350 CDI: if no speed is stored, cruise
control stores the current speed and
maintains it.
Setting a speed
GWarning
Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has made the necessary
adjustments.
Increase or decrease the set vehicle speed to
a value that the prevailing road conditions and
legal speed limits permit. Otherwise, sudden
and unexpected acceleration or deceleration
of the vehicle could cause an accident and/
or serious injury to you and others.XPress the cruise control lever up : for a
higher speed or down ; for a lower speed.XKeep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.XRelease the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored.
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.
Setting in 1 mph (Canada: 1 km/h)
increments
XBriefly press the cruise control lever
up : for a higher speed or down ; for a
lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Deactivating cruise control
There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever
forwards =.
or
XBrake.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R you apply the parking brake.
R you are driving below 20 mph (30 km/h).
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
.
R you shift the transmission to position N
while driving.
R G 350 CDI: you engage a differential lock.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine.
148Driving systemsDriving and parking
ProCarManuals.com
The rear view camera does not relieve you of
the responsibility to be cautious. Take care
and pay careful attention. The rear view
camera may not show objects which are
R very close to the rear bumper
R under the rear bumper
R under the spare wheel
R nearby behind the spare wheel
You are responsible for safety at all times and
must continue to pay attention to the
immediate surroundings when parking and
maneuvering. This includes the area behind,
in front of, and beside the vehicle. Otherwise
you could endanger yourself and/or others.GWarning!
The rear view camera either will not function
or will not function to its full capability if
R the tailgate is open
R it is raining very hard, snowing or foggy
R it is night or you are parking/maneuvering
your vehicle in an area where it is very dark
R the camera is exposed to a very bright white
light
R the immediate surroundings are
illuminated with fluorescent light (the
display may flicker)
R there is a sudden change in temperature,
e.g. if you drive into a heated garage from
the cold (lens condensation)
R the camera lens is dirty or covered
R the rear of your vehicle is damaged
In this case, have the position and setting
of the camera checked by a qualified
specialist workshop. Mercedes-Benz
recommends that you contact a Mercedes-
Benz Center for this purpose.
Do not use the rear view camera in these
situations. Otherwise you could injure
yourself or others and/or damage property
including your vehicle while parking/
maneuvering.
Activating the rear view cameraXMake sure that the SmartKey is in
position 2 in the ignition lock.XMake sure that the "rear view camera"
function is selected in COMAND (see the
separate operating instructions for
COMAND).XEngage reverse gear.
The area behind the vehicle is shown in the
COMAND display.Driving systems153Driving and parkingZProCarManuals.com
The coolant temperature gauge is in the
instrument cluster on the left-hand side.
Under normal driving conditions, with the
correct anti-corrosion and antifreeze additive
concentration, the reading may rise to
248 ‡(120 †).
! If the coolant temperature exceeds
248 ‡(120 †) do not continue driving. The
engine will otherwise be damaged.
Outside temperature display
The outside temperature display is in the
multifunction display ( Y page 158).
GWarning!
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the
freezing point do not guarantee that the road
surface is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.
Changes in the outside temperature are
displayed after a short delay.
Operating the on-board computer
The on-board computer is activated as soon
as you turn the SmartKey to position 1 in the
ignition lock.
You can control the multifunction display and
the settings in the on-board computer using
the buttons on the multifunction steering
wheel.
:Multifunction display;WX
Selects submenus in the Settings
menu
Changes values
Adjusts the volume=~
Rejects or ends a call
Exits phone book/redial memory
6
Makes or accepts a call
Switches to the redial memory?VU
Selects a menu: scrolls back and
forthDisplays and operation157On-board computer and displaysZProCarManuals.com
XPress the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the Settings
menu.XPress and hold the reset button on the left
of the instrument cluster for approximately
three seconds.
A prompt appears in the multifunction
display asking you to confirm by pressing
the reset button again.XPress the reset button again.
The settings of most functions are restored
to the factory settings.
or
XIf you want to retain the settings, do not
press the reset button a second time.
The Settings menu appears again after
approximately five seconds.XPress the V or U button to select a
different menu.
Instrument cluster
Selecting the unit of measurement for
distance
The selected unit of measurement for
distance applies to:
R the odometer and the trip odometer
R the trip computer
R the digital speedometer
XPress the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the Settings
menu.XPress the & button to select submenus.XPress the W or X button to select the
Inst. Cluster submenu.XPress the & button to select Disp.
Unit Speed-/Odom.XPress the W or X button to select
Km (kilometers) or Miles as the unit of
measurement for distance.XPress the &, V or U button to
select a different display.Selecting the language
The Language function allows you to select
the language for the instrument cluster.XPress the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the Settings
menu.XPress the & button to select submenus.XPress the W or X button to select the
Inst. cluster submenu.XPress the & button to select Language.XPress the W or X button to select the
desired language.XPress the &, V or U button to
select a different display.
Selecting the status line display
XPress the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the Settings
menu.XPress the & button to select submenus.XPress the W or X button to select the
Inst. cluster submenu.XPress the & button to select Status
line display .XPress the W or X button to select the
status line display: speed ( Speed) or
outside temperature ( Outside temp.).
The selected display now appears
constantly in the lower multifunction
display. When you scroll through the
Standard display menu (Y page 160), you
will see the display you have not selected.XPress the &, V or U button to
select a different display.
Lighting
Adjusting the instrument cluster lighting
The instrument cluster lighting automatically
adjusts to the ambient light.
XBrighter or dimmer: turn reset button
( Y page 26) clockwise or counter-
clockwise.Menus and submenus163On-board computer and displaysZProCarManuals.com
Switching the daytime running lamps on/
off
This function is not available in Canada.
If you have activated the daytime running
lamps function and the light switch is in the
$ or à position, the low-beam
headlamps are switched on automatically
when the engine is running.
In the dark, the following also light up:
R the low-beam headlamps
R the standing lamps
R the tail lamps
R the license plate lamp
R the side marker lamp
In countries where daytime running lamps are
legally required, Constant is the factory
setting.XPress the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the Settings
menu.XPress the & button to select submenus.XPress the W or X button to select the
Lighting submenu.XPress the & button to select Headlamp
mode .XPress the W or X button to set the
mode for the headlamps to Manual or
Constant (daytime running lamps).XPress the &, V or U button to
select a different display.
Switching the surround lighting on or off
If you activate the surround lighting function
and the light switch is set to Ã, the
following will light up if it is dark and you
unlock the vehicle using the key:
R the standing lamps
R the license plate lamp
R the tail lamps
R the fog lamps
R the side marker lamp
The surround lighting switches off
automatically after 40 seconds or when the
driver's door is opened.XPress the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the Settings
menu.XPress the & button to select submenus.XPress the W or X button to select the
Lighting submenu.XPress the & button to select Surround
lighting .XPress the W or X button to switch
the Surround lighting on or off.XWhen leaving the vehicle, turn the light
switch to position Ã.
The surround lighting is activated.XPress the &, V or U button to
select a different display.
Activating/deactivating the exterior
lighting delayed switch-off
If you have activated the delayed switch-off
function, the light switch is set to à and
you switch off the engine, the following
remain lit:
R the standing lamps
R the license plate lamp
R the tail lamps
R the fog lamps
R the side marker lamp
If the engine is switched off and then none of
the doors are opened, or if an open door is
not closed, the exterior lighting goes out after
60 seconds.
XPress the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the Settings
menu.XPress the & button to select submenus.XPress the W or X button to select the
Lighting submenu.XPress the & button to select Headl.
Delayed Switch Off .164Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays
ProCarManuals.com
XPress the W or X button to activate
or deactivate the Headl. Delayed
Switch Off function.XBefore switching off the engine, turn the
light switch to position Ã.
The exterior lighting delayed switch-off is
activated.XPress the &, V or U button to
select a different display.
Deactivating the delayed switch-off
temporarily:
XBefore leaving the vehicle, turn the key to
position 0 in the ignition lock.XTurn the key to position 2 in the ignition
lock and back to position 0.
The delayed switch-off is deactivated.
Delayed switch-off is reactivated the next
time you start the engine.
Activating/deactivating the interior
lighting delayed switch-off
If the Interior Light. Delay. Sw. Off:
function is activated and you pull the key out
of the ignition lock, the interior lighting
remains on for around 10 seconds.
XPress the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the Settings
menu.XPress the & button to select submenus.XPress the W or X button to select the
Lighting submenu.XPress the & button to select Interior
Light. Delay Sw. Off .XPress the W or X button to activate
or deactivate Interior Light. Delay.
Sw. Off .XPress the &, V or U button to
select a different display.Vehicle
Activating/deactivating the automatic
door locking feature
If you select the Automatic Locking
function, the vehicle is centrally locked above
a speed of around 9 mph (15 km/h).
i For more information on the automatic
locking feature, see ( Y page 68).
XPress the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the Settings
menu.XPress the & button to select submenus.XPress the W or X button to select the
Vehicle submenu.XPress the & button to select
Automatic Door Lock .XPress the W or X button to switch
the Automatic Door Lock feature on or
off.XPress the &, V or U button to
select a different display.
Convenience
Activating/deactivating the EASY-
ENTRY/EXIT feature
You can use the Easy-entry Function to
activate or deactivate the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT
feature ( Y page 84).
GWarning!
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel when the easy-entry/exit feature is
activated.
To stop steering wheel movement do one of
the following:
R Move steering wheel adjustment stalk.
R Press one of the memory position buttons.
R Press the memory button.
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
Menus and submenus165On-board computer and displaysZProCarManuals.com