2012 MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS SUV Owners Manual

Useful information
i This Owner's Manual describes all mod-
els, series and optional equipment for your
vehicle that were available at the time of
going to press. Country-specific differen-
ces are possible. Note that your vehicle
may not be fitted with all features descri-
bed. This is also the case for systems and
functions relevant to safety.
i Read the information on qualified special-
ist workshops: (Y page 22). Running-in notes
Important safety notes
New brake pads/brake pads and discs that
have been replaced only achieve optimum
braking effec tafter several hundred kilome-
tres of driving. Compensate for the reduced
braking effect by applying greater force to the
brake pedal. The first 1,500 km
If you treat the engine with sufficient care
from the very start, you will be rewarded with
excellent performance for the remainder of
the engine's life.
R Drive at varying vehicle speeds and engine
speeds for the first 1,500 km.
R Avoid overstraining the vehicle during this
period, e.g. driving at full throttle.
R Change gea ringood time, before the rev
counter needle is Ôof the way to the red
area of the rev counter.
R Do not shift down a gear manually in order
to brake.
R Try to avoid depressing the accelerator
pedal beyond the point of resistance (kick-
down).
R The shift ranges 3,2or 1should only be
engaged when driving slowly, e.g. when
driving in mountainous terrain. After 1,500 km, you may gradually bring the
vehicle up to full road and engine speeds.
Additional running-in notes for AMG vehicles:
R
Do not drive at speeds above 140 km/h for
the first 1,500 km.
R Only allow the engine to reach a maximum
engine speed of 4,500 rpm briefly.
R Avoid driving off-road before the differen-
tial oil change at 3,000 km.
R Drive the vehicle mainly in drive program
Cfor the first 1,500 km.
i You should also observe these notes on
running in if the engine or parts of the drive
train on your vehicle have been replaced. AMG vehicles with rear axle differen-
tial lock
To improve the protection of the differential,
change the oil after a run-in distance of
3,000 km. This oil change will lengthen the
service life of the differential. Have the oil
change carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop. Driving
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell can restric tthe
pedal travel or obstruct adepressed pedal.
The operating and road safety of the vehicle
is jeopardised. There is a risk of an accident.
Make sure that all objects in the vehicle are
stowed correctly, and that they cannot enter
the driver's footwell. Fit the floormats
securely and as specified in order to ensure
sufficien tclearance for the pedals. Do not use
loose floormats. 142
DrivingDriving and parking

G
WARNING
Unsuitable footwea rcan hinder correc tusage
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. G
WARNING
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. G
WARNING
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 set the automatic transmission to the
respective drive positions when the vehicle
is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery
roads. Otherwise, you could 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 +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. Key positions
g
To remove the key
1 Power supply for some consumers, such
as the windscreen wipers
2 Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive position
3 To start the engine
i The indicator and warning lamps light up
in the instrument cluster when you switch
on the ignition. They go out when the
engine is running. This shows that the indi-
cator and warning lamps for each system
are operational.
i You can only remove the key if:
R the key is in position 0in the ignition
lock.
R the automatic transmission selector
lever is in P. Driving
143Driving and parking Z

Starting the engine
Important safety notes G
WARNING
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.
! Do not depress the accelerator pedal
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.
i You can also start the engine when the
automatic transmission is in position N.
i For further information about the auto-
matic transmission, see (Y page 149).
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 To start a petrol engine: turn the key to
position 3in the ignition lock
(Y page 143) and release it as soon as the
engine is running.
X To startad iesel engine: turn the key to
position 2in the ignition lock
(Y page 143).
The % preglow indicator lamp in the
instrumen tcluster lights up.
X When the %preglow indicator lamp
goes out, tur nthe key to position
3(Y page 143)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 key to position 3
(Y page 143) and release it immediately.
The engine then starts automatically. Pulling away
Automatic transmission G
WARNING
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.
! 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.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion Dor R.
i Before driving off, wait until the gear
change is fully completed.
X Release the parking brake (Y page 164).
X Release the brake pedal.
X Carefully depress the accelerator pedal.
i It 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.
i The vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away.T he locking knobs in the doors
drop down. 144
DrivingDriving and parking

You can open the doors fro
mthe inside at
any time.
You can also deactivate the automatic lock-
ing feature (Y page 223).
i Upshifts take place at higher engine
speeds after a cold start. This helps the
catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature more quickly.
Hill starta ssist G
WARNING
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 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.
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. ECO start/stop function (AMG vehi-
cles)
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the engine is switched off automatically and
you exit the vehicle, the engine is restarted
automatically. The vehicle may begin moving.
There is a risk of accident and injury.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the ignition and secure the vehicle against
rolling away.
General notes The ECO start/stop function is only available
for the G 63 AMG.
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle stops
moving.
When pulling away again, the engine starts
automatically. The ECO start/stop function
thereby helps you to reduce the fuel con-
sumption and emissions of your vehicle.
The ECO start/stop function is activated each
time the engine is switched on.
The ECO start/stop function is only available
in drive program
C.
The system is operational when the ¤
symbol is shown in green in the multifunction
display.
The system is operational if all conditions for
automatic engine switch-off have been fulfil-
led (Y page 146) and the ¤symbol is
shown in green in the multifunction display.
In addition, the Stop/Start active mes-
sage is shown in the AMG menu in the multi-
function display.
If not all conditions for automatic engine
switch-off are fulfilled (Y page 146), the
¤ symbol is shown in yellow in the multi-
function display.
In addition, the Stop/Start inactive mes-
sage is shown in the AMG menu in the multi-
function display. Driving
145Driving and parking Z

If the ECO start/stop function has been man-
ually deactivated (Y
page 146) or if a mal-
function has caused the system to be deac-
tivated, the ¤symbol is not displayed.
The Stop/Start active or
Stop/Start inactive message in the AMG menu in the
multifunction display goes out.
Activating/deactivating the ECO start/
stop function ECO button
X
To switch off: in drive program C, press
button :.
or
X Switch to drive program Sor M
(Y page 152).
Indicator lamp ;on button :and the
¤ symbol in the multifunction display go
out.
The Stop/Start active or
Stop/Start inactive message in the AMG menu in the
multifunction display goes out.
X To switch on: press button:.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. If drive pro-
gram Sor Mis active, the automatic trans-
missio nswitches to drive program C.
If all conditions for automatic engine
switch-off (Y page 146) are fulfilled, the
¤ symbol is shown in gree ninthe mul-
tifunction display. In addition, the Stop/Start active message is shown in the
AMG menu in the multifunction display.
If not all conditions for automatic engine
switch-off (Y page 146) are fulfilled, the ¤
symbol is not shown. If this is the
case, the ECO start/stop function is not
available. In addition, the Stop/Start inactive message is shown in the AMG
menu in the multifunction display.
i If indicator lamp ;is off, the ECO start/
stop function has been deactivated man-
ually or as the result of a malfunction. The
engine will then not be switched off auto-
matically when the vehicle stops.
i The stop/start function is automatically
activated each time you start the engine
with the ignition key.
Automatic engine switch-off If the vehicle is braked to a standstill in trans-
mission position
Dor N, the ECO start/stop
function switches off the engine automati-
cally.
The ECO start/stop function is operational
and the ¤symbol is displayed in green in
the multifunction display if:
R the indicator lamp in the ECO button is lit
green
R none of the off-road programs are selected
R the vehicle is stationary
R the outside temperature is within the com-
fort range
R the engine is at normal operating temper-
ature
R the set temperature for the vehicle interior
has been reached
R the battery is sufficiently charged
R the system detects that the windscreen is
not misted up when the air-conditioning
system is switched on
R the bonnet is closed
R the driver's door is closed and the driver's
seat belt is fastened
If not all conditions for automatic engine
switch-off are fulfilled, the ¤symbol is
shown in yellow. 146
DrivingDriving and parking

In addition, the
Stop/Start inactive mes-
sage is shown in the AMG menu in the multi-
function display.
i If you shift the transmission from Rto D,
the ECO start/stop function is available
again once the ¤symbol reappears in
green in the multifunction display.
i The engine can be automatically switched
off an unlimited number of times.
i You can also activate the HOLD function
when the vehicle is stationary if the engine
has been switched off automatically. It is
then not necessary to continue applying
the brakes during the automatic stop
phase.W hen you depress the accelerator
pedal, the engine starts automatically and
the braking effect of the HOLD function is
deactivated. Depress the accelerator pedal
gently, as the engine must be started first.
i During automatic engine switch-off, the
climate control system only operates at a
reduced capacity. If you require full climate
control capacity, the ECO start/stop func-
tion can be deactivated by pressing the
ECO button (Y page 146). Automatic engine start The engine is started automatically if:
R
In general:
-you switch off the ECO start/stop func-
tion by pressing the ECO button.
- you release the brakes when in transmis-
sion position Dor N, when the HOLD
function is inactive.
R By the driver:
-you release the brakes when in transmis-
sion position Dor N.
- you depress the accelerator pedal.
- you engage reverse gear R.
- you move the transmission out of posi-
tion P.
- you switch to drive program Sor M.
- you unfasten your seat belt or open the
driver's door.
R By the system:
-the vehicle starts to roll.
- the brake system requires this.
- the temperature in the vehicle interior
deviates from the set range.
- the system detects moisture on the
windscreen when the air-conditioning
system is switched on.
- the battery's charge status is too low.
i Shifting the transmission to position P
does not start the engine. Driving
147Driving 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 key back to position 0in the ignition lock before
attempting to start the engine again.
X Try to start the engine again (Y page 144). Avoid excessively
long and frequent attemptst o start the engine, as this
(Y page 143) will drain the battery.
If the engine does not start after several attempts:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The engine does not
start.T
he starter motor
can be heard. The yel-
low reserve fuel warn-
ing lamp is lit and the
needle of the fuel gauge
display shows 0. The fuel tank is empty.
X
Refuel the vehicle.
X Vehicles with adiesel engine: bleed the fuel system
(Y page 159). 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 313).
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 star tthe engine again.
If the engine still does not start:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Vehicles with a petrol
engine:
The engine is not run-
ning smoothly and is
misfiring. There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanical
component of the engine management system.
X
Only depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic con-
verter and damage it.
X Have the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop. 148
DrivingDriving and parking

Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
The coolant tempera-
ture display is showing
more than 120 †. A
display message may
also appearint
he mul-
tifunction display and a
warning tone may
sound. The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
X Stop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant
to cool down.
X Check the coolant level (Y page 293). Observe the warning
notes as you do so and top up the coolant if necessary. If the coolant level is correct, the radiator fan may be faulty. The
coolant is too hot and the engine is no longer being cooled suffi-
ciently.
X
If the coolant temperature is below 120 †, you can continue
driving to the nearest qualified specialist workshop.
X Avoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving in
mountainous terrain and stop-start traffic. Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
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.
i Bear in mind that the power transmission
between the engine and the transmission
is interrupted when the engine is switched
off. Therefore, to prevent the vehicle from
rolling away, shift the automatic transmis-
sion to position Pand apply the parking
brake when the engine is switched off and
the vehicle is stationary. Selector lever
Overview of transmission positions !
If the engine speed is too high or if the
vehicle is rolling, do not shift the transmis- sion directly from
Dto R, from Rto Dor
directly to P.
Do not open the driver's door while the
vehicle is in motion. At low speeds in trans-
mission position Dor R, park position Pis
otherwise engaged automatically.
The transmission could be damaged. Selector lever
j
Park position
k Reverse gear
i Neutral
h Drive
When you select a transmission position, the
selector lever subsequently returns to its
original position. Automatic transmission
149Driving and parking Z