2012 MERCEDES-BENZ G-Class ignition

the engine hood. Stay away from the engine
if you see or hear steam coming from it.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location away from
other
traffic.
Turn off the engine, get out of the
vehicle and do not stand near the vehicle until
the engine has cooled down.
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 154).G
WARNING
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
forth Displays and operation
153
On-board computer and displays Z

A
&*
Press briefly:
Scrolls
back
and forth within a menu
In the Audio menu: selects a stored
station, an audio track or a video
scene
In the Telephone menu: switches to
the phone book and selects a name
or a telephone number &*
Press and hold:
In the
Audio menu: selects the
previous/next station or selects an
audio track using rapid scrolling
In the Telephone menu: starts rapid
scrolling through the phone book Multifunction display
To activate the multifunction display:
R switch on the ignition.
R switch on the lights.
R open the door.
R press the reset button on the instrument
cluster.
The multifunction display shows you values
and settings as well as possible messages. :
Display area for menus or submenus
; Status bar with outside temperature or
speed ( Y page 159)
= Transfer case position
? Selector lever position/shift range For further information on displaying the
transmission position, see (
Y page 120).154
Displays and operation
On-board computer and displays

X
Press the W or X button to activate
or deactivate the Headl. Delayed
Switch Off function.
X Before switching off the engine, turn the
light switch to position Ã.
The exterior lighting delayed switch-off is
activated.
X Press the &, V or U button to
select a different display.
Deactivating the delayed switch-off
temporarily:
X Before leaving the vehicle, turn the
SmartKey to
position 0 in the ignition lock.
X Turn the SmartKey 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
SmartKey out

of the ignition lock, the interior
lighting remains on for around 10 seconds.
X Press the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the Settings
menu.
X Press the & button
to select submenus.
X Press the W or X
button to select the
Lighting submenu.
X Press the & button
to select Interior
Light. Delay Sw. Off.
X Press the W or X button to activate
or deactivate Interior Light. Delay.
Sw. Off.
X Press 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 66).
X Press the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the Settings
menu.
X Press the & button
to select submenus.
X Press the W or X
button to select the
Vehicle submenu.
X Press the & button to select
Automatic Door Lock.
X Press the W or X button to switch
the Automatic Door Lock feature on or
off.
X Press 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 83). G
WARNING
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 submenus
161
On-board computer and displays
Z

unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
X Press the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the Settings
menu.
X Press the & button
to select submenus.
X Press the W or X
button to select the
Convenience submenu.
X Press the & button to select the Easy-
entry Function.
X Press the W or X button to activate
or deactivate the Easy-entry Function.
X Press the &, V or U button to
select a different display. Trip computer menu
Trip computer "From start" or "From
reset" The values in the
From Start
submenu are
calculated from the start of a journey,
whereas the values in the From Reset
submenu are

calculated from the last time the
submenu was reset.
X Press the V or U button to select
From Start. Example: trip computer "From start"
:
Distance
; Time =
Average speed
? Average fuel consumption
X Press the
& button to select
From
Start or the * button to select From
Reset in the submenu. Example: trip computer "From reset"
:
Distance
; Time
= Average speed
? Average fuel consumption
The trip computer From Start is
automatically reset if:
R the ignition

has been switched off for more
than four hours.
R 999 hours have been exceeded.
R 9,999 miles have been exceeded.
If 9,999 hours or 99,999 kilometers are
exceeded, the trip computer From Reset is
automatically reset.
Resetting X
Press the
V or U button to select
From Start.
X Press the &
or *
button to select the
function that you wish to reset.
X Press and hold the reset button on the left
of the instrument cluster until the values
have reverted to "0".162
Menus and submenus
On-board computer and displays

Display messages
General notes
G
WARNING
All categories of messages contain important information which should be taken note of and,
where a
malfunction is indicated, addressed as soon as possible at an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Failure to repair the condition noted may cause damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty, or result in property damage or personal injury.
Display messages appear in the multifunction display.
Display messages with graphic displays may be shown in simplified form in the Operator's
Manual and may differ from the messages shown in the multifunction display.
Please respond in accordance with the display messages and follow the additional notes in
this Operator's Manual.
Certain display messages are accompanied by an audible warning tone or a continuous tone. Hiding display messages
You can hide some display messages with a low priority.
X Press
the
V, U, & or *
button on the steering wheel to select another display.
or
X Press the reset button on the instrument cluster ( Y page 25).
The display message is cleared.
Display messages with a high priority are shown in red.
You cannot hide display messages of the highest priority. The multifunction display shows
these messages continuously until the causes for the messages have been remedied. Message memory menu
The on-board

computer saves certain display messages. You can call up the display messages
in the message memory menu.
The message memory menu is only shown if any display messages have been stored.
X Press the V or U button repeatedly, until either the original menu or the message
memory menu is shown.
If there are display messages, the multifunction display shows 2 Messages, for example.
X Press the & or * button to scroll through the display messages.
When the ignition is switched off, all display messages are deleted apart from some high-
priority display messages. Once the causes of the high-priority display messages have been
rectified, the corresponding display messages are also deleted. Display messages
165
On-board computer and displays Z

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutionsb
High-beam left or 
High-beam right The left or right-hand high beam is defective.
X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. b
License Plate
Lamp, Left or 
License Plate
Lamp, Right There is a short circuit in the LED lamps. The LEDs have been
switched off.
X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop.
i Individual segments of the LED lamps may fail without a display
message being shown in the multifunction display. Regularly
check the license plate lamp. If necessary, visit a qualified
specialist workshop. b
Switch off lights
or remove key You have left the SmartKey in the ignition lock.
X
Remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock. b
Switch Off Lights The lights are still switched on when you leave the vehicle.
X
Turn the light switch to $ or Ã(Y page 88). b
Fog lamp left or 
fog lamp right The left-hand or right-hand front fog lamp is defective.
X
Replace the bulb ( Y page 94).b
Front Left Side
Marker Lamp or 
Front Right Side
Marker Lamp The left or right front side marker lamp is defective.
X
Replace the bulb ( Y page 94).b
Rear
fog

lamp Back-
up bulb on The rear fog lamp is defective. Another lamp has taken over its
function.
X
Replace the bulb ( Y page 94).b
Standing lamp
front
left

Back-up
bulb on or 
standing lamp
front right Back-
up bulb on The front left-hand or front right-hand standing lamp is faulty.
Another lamp has taken over its function.
X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Display messages
169
On-board computer and displays Z

Engine
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
! (USA only)
; (Canada only)
The yellow Check
Engine warning lamp
lights up while the
engine is running. There may be a malfunction, for example:
R
in the engine management
R in the fuel injection system
R in the exhaust system
R in the ignition system
R in the fuel system
The emission limit values may be exceeded and the engine may
be running in emergency mode.
X Have the vehicle checked as soon as possible at a qualified
specialist workshop.
i In some states/provinces, you are required by law to
immediately visit a qualified specialist workshop if the yellow
Check Engine

warning lamp lights up. If in doubt, check whether
such legal regulations apply in the state/province in which you
are currently driving. !
(USA only)
; (Canada only)
The yellow Check
Engine warning lamp
lights up while the
engine is running. The fuel system pressure is too low. The fuel filler cap is not closed
correctly or the fuel system is leaking.
X Check that the fuel filler cap is correctly closed.
X If the fuel filler cap is not correctly closed:
close
the fuel filler
cap.
X If the fuel filler cap is closed: visit a qualified specialist
workshop. 9
The yellow reserve fuel
warning lamp lights up
while the engine is
running.
The fuel filler cap is not correctly closed.
X
Check that the fuel filler cap is correctly closed.
X If
the fuel filler cap is not correctly closed:
close
the fuel filler
cap.
X If the fuel filler cap is closed: visit a qualified specialist
workshop. 9
The yellow reserve fuel
warning lamp lights up
while the engine is
running.
The fuel level has dropped into the reserve range.
X
Refuel at the nearest gas station.184
Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument cluster
On-board computer and displays

Ashtray
Ashtray in the cockpit X
To open: press cover ? and then release
it.
Ashtray : folds out.
X To remove insert: make sure that the
vehicle is secured against rolling away by
applying the parking brake.
X Move the selector lever to N.
X Move slide knob = to the right, so that
insert ; is released.
X Pull insert ; upwards and remove it.
X To re-install the insert: press insert ;
into the holder until it engages.
X To close: press cover ? until it engages.
Ashtray in the rear compartment An ashtray is located in each of the rear
doors. X
To open: fold cover ;
out in the direction
of the arrow.
X To remove the insert: press retaining
lug : and

pull insert = upwards and out.
X To re-install the insert: replace insert =
from above.
X To close: close cover ; fully. Cigarette lighter
G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. Always take
the SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. A child's unsupervised
access to

a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury. The children
could:
R injure themselves on parts of the vehicle
R be seriously or fatally injured through
excessive exposure to extreme heat or cold
R injure themselves or cause an accident with
vehicle equipment that can be operated
even if the SmartKey is removed from the
ignition lock or removed from the vehicle,
such as seat adjustment, steering wheel
adjustment, or the memory function
If children open a door, they could injure other
persons or get out of the vehicle and injure
themselves or be injured by following traffic.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system's
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and the child could be burned on these
parts. G
WARNING
Never touch the heating element or sides of
the lighter; they are extremely hot. Hold the
knob only. Features
195
Stowing and features
Z