2012 MERCEDES-BENZ G-Class Owner's Manual

adjustment to direct the air to air vents in the
vehicle interior that are not in the immediate
area of unprotected skin.
In order to ensure the direct flow of fresh air
through the

air vents into the vehicle interior,
please observe the following notes:
R keep the air intake grille on the hood free
of blockages, such as ice, snow or leaves
R never cover the air vents or air intake grille
in the vehicle interior.
i For virtually draft-free ventilation, adjust
the sliders of the air vents to the center
position. Setting the center air vents
Center air vents
:
Center air vent, left
; Center air vent, right
= Center vent thumbwheel, right
? Center vent thumbwheel, left
X To open/close: turn thumbwheels
=
and ? to the right or left. Setting the side air vents
Side air vents
:
Side air vent
; Swiveling side air vent
= Control for side air vent
X To open/close:
turn thumbwheel
=
to the
left or right. Setting the rear-compartment air
vents
X
To
open/close:
turn thumbwheel :
up or
down.
X To set the air direction: move slider ;
for the corresponding rear-compartment
air vent to the left, right, up or down. Setting the air vents
111
Climate control Z

112

Useful information ............................
114
Breaking-in notes .............................. 114
Driving ............................................... 114
Automatic transmission ................... 119
Refueling ............................................ 124
Parking ............................................... 127
Driving tips ........................................ 129
Driving systems ................................ 139
Off-road driving systems ..................145 113Driving and parking

Useful information
i This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional
equipment 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.
i Please read the information on qualified
specialist workshops (Y page 20). Breaking-in notes
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 Drive at varying vehicle speeds and engine
speeds for the first 1000 miles (1500 km)
for this reason.
R Avoid overstraining the vehicle during this
period, e.g. driving at full throttle.
R Change gear in good time, at the latest
when the tachometer needle is 2
/ 3 of the
way to the red area in the tachometer
display.
R Do not manually shift to a lower gear to
brake the vehicle.
R If possible, do not depress the accelerator
pedal past the point of resistance
(kickdown).
R Only select shift ranges 3, 2 or 1 when
driving slowly, e.g. in mountainous terrain.
After 1000 miles (1500 km), you can increase
the engine speed gradually and bring the
vehicle up to full speed. Additional breaking-in notes for AMG
vehicles:
R
do not drive faster than 85 mph
(140 km/h) in the first 1000 miles
(1500 km).
R only allow the engine to reach a maximum
engine speed of 4500 rpm briefly.
R change gear in good time.
R avoid off-road

use before the differential oil
change at 2000 miles (3000 km).
i You should also observe these breaking-
in notes if the engine or parts of the drive
train on your vehicle have been replaced.
i Always observe the respective speed
restrictions. Driving
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Make sure absolutely no objects are
obstructing the pedals' range of movement.
Keep the driver's footwell clear of all
obstacles. If there are any floormats or
carpets in

the footwell, make sure the pedals
still have sufficient clearance.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers
the objects could get caught between the
pedals. You could then no longer brake or
accelerate. This could lead to accidents and
injury. G
WARNING
On
slippery road surfaces, never downshift in
order to obtain braking action. This could
result in

drive wheel slip and reduced vehicle
control. Your vehicle's ABS will not prevent
this type of loss of control. G
WARNING
It is dangerous to shift the automatic
transmission out of parking position
P or
neutral position N if the engine speed is
higher than

idle speed. If your foot is not firmly114
Driving
Driving and parking

on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or in reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
! 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. SmartKey positions
g
To remove the SmartKey
1 Power supply for some consumers, such
as the windshield wipers
2 Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive position
3 To start the engine i
You can only remove the SmartKey if:
R the SmartKey is in position
0 in the
ignition lock.
R the automatic transmission selector
lever is in P.
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
the engine is started or if it lights up while the
vehicle is in motion, see ( Y page 180).
If the SmartKey is in position 0 in 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.
X Remove the SmartKey when the engine is
switched off.
The starter battery could otherwise be
discharged.
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 if
necessary ( Y page 231).
or
X Jump-start the vehicle (Y page 233). Starting the engine
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Inhalation
of exhaust gas is hazardous to your
health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide (CO), and inhaling it can cause
unconsciousness and possible death.
Do not

run the engine in confined areas (such
as a garage) which are not properly ventilated.
If you think that exhaust gas fumes are
entering the vehicle while driving, have the
cause determined and corrected
immediately. If you must drive under these Driving
115
Driving and parking
Z

conditions, drive only with at least one
window fully open at all times.
! Do not depress the accelerator pedal
when starting the engine.
Starting procedure X
Shift the automatic transmission to
position P.
The transmission position display in the
multifunction display shows P.
i Further information about the automatic
transmission (Y page 119).
i If 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 in the
ignition lock

(Y page 115) and release it as
soon as the engine is running.
i You can
start the engine without preglow
if the engine is warm.
i You can also use the touch-start function.
To do this, turn the SmartKey to position 3
(Y page 115) and release it immediately.
The engine then starts automatically. Pulling away
Automatic transmission G
WARNING
It is dangerous to shift the automatic
transmission out of parking position
P or
neutral position N if the engine speed is
higher than

idle speed. If your foot is not firmly
on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or in reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal. !
Only shift the automatic transmission to
reverse gear
R

or park position P when the
vehicle is stationary. Otherwise, the
automatic transmission could be damaged.
i It is only possible to shift the automatic
transmission from position P to a different
position if you depress the brake pedal.
Only then is the selector lever lock
released.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift the automatic transmission to
position D or R.
i Before driving off, wait until the gear
change is fully completed.
X Release the parking brake ( Y page 128).
X Release the brake pedal.
X Carefully depress the accelerator pedal.
! 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.
! If a warning tone sounds and the
Release Park. Brake message appears
in the multifunction display, the parking
brake is still applied. Release the parking
brake.
i The 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
locking feature (Y page 161).
i Upshifts take place at higher engine
speeds after a cold start. This helps the
catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature more quickly. 116
Driving
Driving and parking

Hill start assist
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 foot
from the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal
and depress it before the vehicle begins to
roll. G
WARNING
Never leave the vehicle when it is held by hill
start assist. After approximately one second,
hill start assist will no longer brake your
vehicle and it could roll away.
X Take your foot off the brake pedal.
i Once 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 a
downhill gradient.
R the transmission is in position N.
R the parking brake is applied.
R ESP ®
is malfunctioning. Driving
117
Driving and parking Z

Problems with the engine
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
The engine does not
start.
The

starter motor
can be heard. R
There is a malfunction in the engine electronics.
R There is a malfunction in the fuel supply.
X Turn
the SmartKey back to position
0
in
the ignition lock before
attempting to start the engine again.
X Try to start the engine again (Y page 115). Avoid excessively
long and

frequent attempts to start the engine as these will drain
the battery.
If the engine does not start after several attempts:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The engine does not
start.
The

starter motor
can be heard. The
yellow reserve fuel
warning lamp is on. The
fuel gauge needle is
pointing to the reserve
range and does not
drop any further. The fuel tank is empty.
X
Refuel the vehicle. The engine does not
start. You cannot hear
the starter motor. The on-board voltage is too low because the battery is too weak
or discharged.
X
Jump-start the vehicle (
Y page 233).
If the engine does not start despite attempts to jump-start it:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The starter motor was exposed to a thermal load that was too high.
X Allow the starter motor to cool down for approximately two
minutes.
X Try to start the engine again.
If the engine still does not start:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop.118
Driving
Driving and parking