2012 MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS SUV parking brake

R
you switch on the respective tur nsignals.
R DISTRONIC PLUS does not detect a danger
of collision.
If these conditions are met, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted
if changing lanes takes too long or if the dis-
tance between your vehicle and the vehicle in
front becomes too small.
i When changing lanes, DISTRONIC PLUS
monitors the left lane for left-hand-drive
vehicles and the right lane for right-hand-
drive vehicles.
Stopping G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, even if it is braked
only by DISTRONIC PLUS, it could roll away if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R DISTRONIC PLUS has been deactivated
with the cruise control lever, e.g. by a vehi-
cle occupant or fro moutside the vehicle.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
R the accelerato rpedal has been depressed,
e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in fron tis stopping, it brakes your vehicle until
it is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
i Depending on the specified minimum dis-
tance, your vehicle will come to a standstill
at a sufficient distance behind the vehicle
in front.T he specified minimum distance is
set using the control on the cruise control
lever. On steep uphill or downhill gradients or if
there is a malfunction, the transmission may
also be automatically shifted into position
P.
Displays in the instrument cluster Displays in the speedometer
Example: DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the speed-
ometer
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, one or
two segments
;in the set speed range light
up.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detectsav ehicle in front,
segments ;between speed of the vehicle in
front :and stored speed =light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for DISTRONIC PLUS. 186
Driving systemsDriving and parking

briefly up
:or down ;beyond the pres-
sure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 10 km/h increments.
i DISTRONIC PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you accel-
erate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Setting the specified minimum distance You can set the specified minimum distance
for DISTRONIC PLUS by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. With this func-
tion, you can set the minimum distance that
DISTRONIC PLUS keeps to the vehicle in
front, dependen
tonvehicle speed. You can
see this distance in the multifunction display
(Y page 220).
X To increase: turn control=in direc-
tion ;.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a greater
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
X To decrease: turn control=in direc-
tion :.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a shorter
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
i Make sure that you maintain the mini-
mum distance to the vehicle in front as
required by law. Adjust the distance to the
vehicle in front if necessary. Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS
There are several ways to deactivate DIS-
TRONIC PLUS:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or
X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow =.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM
indicator lamp ;in the cruise control lever
lights up.
When you deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, you
will see the DISTRONIC PLUS off message
in the multifunction display for approximately
five seconds.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically deactiva-
ted if:
R you engage the parking brake.
R you are driving more slowly than 25 km/h
and there is no longer avehicle in front, or
if the vehicle in front is no longer detected
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R the transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition.
R the vehicle is near a radio telescope facility
(Y page 351).
R you pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away, and the front- 188
Driving systemsDriving and parking

passenger door or one of the rear doors is
open.
R the vehicle has skidded.
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. You will see the DIS‐TRONIC PLUS off message in the multifunc-
tion display for approximately five seconds.
In the Assistance menu (Y page 220) of the
on-board computer, you can select the dis-
tance display.
Tips for driving with DISTRONIC PLUS General notes
The following contains descriptions of certain
road and traffic conditions in which you must
be particularly attentive. In such situations,
brake if necessary. DISTRONIC PLUS is then
deactivated.
Cornering, going into and coming out of a
bend The ability of DISTRONIC PLUS to detec
tvehi-
cles when cornering is limited. Your vehicle
may brake unexpectedly or late. Vehicles thata
re notdriving in the middle
of their lane DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect vehicles
which are not driving in the middle of their
lane. The distance to the vehicle in front will
be too short.
Othe
rvehicles changing lane DISTRONIC PLUS has not detected the vehi-
cle cutting in yet. The distance to this vehicle
will be too short.
Narrow vehicles Driving systems
189Driving and parking Z

DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the
vehicle in front on the edge of the carriage-
way, because of its narrow width
.The dis-
tance to the vehicle in front will be too short.
Obstructions and stationary vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS does not brake for obsta-
cles or stationary vehicles. If, for example, the
detected vehicle turns a corner and reveals
an obstacle or stationary vehicle, DISTRONIC
PLUS will not brake for these.
Crossing vehicles
DISTRONIC PLUS may detect vehicles that
are crossing your lane by mistake. Activating
DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights with cross-
ing traffic, for example, could cause your vehi-
cle to pull away unintentionally. Blind Spot Assist
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Blind Spot Assist does not react to:
R vehicles overtaken too closely on the side,
placing them in the blind spot area
R vehicles approaching and driving by with a
speed difference of more than approx-
imately 11 km/h
As a result, Blind Spot Assist may not give
warnings in such situations. There is a risk of
an accident.
Always observe the traffic conditions care-
fully, and maintain a safe lateral distance.
Blind Spot Assist is only an aid. It may fail to
detect some vehicles and is no substitute for
attentive driving.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if there is:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
ing the sensors
R visibility is poor, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain
or snow
R there is a narrow vehicle travelling in front,
e.g. a motorcycle or bicycle
R the road has very wide lanes
R the road has narrow lanes
R you are not driving in the middle of the lane
R there are barriers or other road boundaries
General notes Blind Spot Assist uses a radar sensor system
to monitor both the left and right sides of your
vehicle. It supports you from speeds of
30 km/h. A warning display in the exterior
mirrors draws your attention to vehicles
detected in the monitored area. If you then
switch on the corresponding turn signal to
change lane, you will also receive an optical
and audible collision warning. For this pur-
pose, Blind Spot Assist uses sensors in the
rear bumper.190
Driving systemsDriving and parking

In such situations, Active Blind Spot Assist
cannot warn you or intervene. There is a risk
of an accident.
Always observe the traffic conditions care-
fully, and maintain a safe lateral distance.
Active Blind Spot Assist is only an aid.Itm ay
fail to detect some vehicles and is no substi-
tute for attentive driving.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if:
R there is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors.
R visibility is poor, e.g .due to fog, heavy rain
or snow.
R there is a narrow vehicl etravelling in front,
e.g. a motorcycle or bicycle.
R the road has very wide lanes.
R the road has narrow lanes.
R you are not driving in the middle of the lane.
R there are barriers or other road boundaries.
General notes Active Blind Spot Assist uses a rada
rsensor
system to monitor the side areas of your vehi-
cle which are behind the driver. Awarning
display in the exterior mirrors draws your
attentio nto vehicles detected in the moni-
tored area. If you then switch on the corre-
sponding turn signal to change lane, you will
also receive an optical and audible collision
warning. If a risk of lateral collision is detec-
ted, corrective braking may help you avoid a
collision. To support the course-correcting
brake application, Active Blind Spot Assist
also uses the forward-facing radar sensor sys-
tem.
Active Blind Spot Assist supports you from a
speed of approximately 30 km/h.
Monitoring range G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist monitors certain
areas in the immediate vicinity of your vehicle. Vehicles that approach and drive past at high
speeds are not detected. No visual nor audi-
ble warnings are emitted and the system does
not brake the vehicle to correct your course.
If the lanes are very wide, it may not be pos-
sible to monitor the complete width of the
neighbouring lane. For this reason, vehicles in
the next lane may not be detected, especially
if they are driving in a staggered formation.
This may be the case if vehicles are driving at
the edge of their lane that is furthest away
from your vehicle.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions and
your surroundings. Otherwise, you may fail to
recognise dangers in time, cause an accident
and injure yourself and others.
Active Blind Spot Assist monitors the area up
to 3.0 m behind your vehicle and directly next
to your vehicle, as shown in the diagram. For
this purpose, Active Blind Spot Assist uses
radar sensors in the rear bumper.
If the lanes are narrow, vehicles driving in the
lane beyond the lane next to your vehicle may
be indicated, especially if the vehicles are not
driving in the middle of their lane. This may
be the case if there are vehicles at the edge
of their lane nearest your vehicle. Driving systems
193Driving and parking Z

Course-correcting brake application
G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist is only an aid
designed to assis tdriving. It is not a substitute
for attentive driving. Automatic braking by the
system may not always be sufficient to avoid
a collision. In such cases, you need to steer,
brake or accelerate yourself.
In very rare cases, the system may detect a
risk of collision where there is none and brake
in error near crash barriers or similar road
boundaries. Active Blind Spot Assist cannot
detect all traffic situations and road users.
Ensure at all times that there is sufficient lat-
eral distance between you and other road
users or obstacles. You can, for example,
countersteer gently or depress the accelera-
tor pedal at any time to cancel inappropriate
braking action.
You are responsible for the vehicle's speed,
correct steering and for braking in good time.
Always adapt yourd riving style to suitthe
prevailing road and weather conditions.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions and
your surroundings. Otherwise, you may fail to
recognise dangers in time, cause an accident
and injure yourself and others. If a course-correcting brake application
occurs, red warning lamp
:flashes in the
exterior mirror and a dual warning tone
sounds. In addition, display ;appears in the
multifunction display.
If Active Blind Spot Assist detects a risk of a
lateral collision in the monitoring range, a
course-correcting brake application is carried
out. This is designed to help you avoid a col-
lision.
The course-correcting brake application is
available in the range between 30 km/h and
200 km/h.
Either a very slight course-correcting brake
application, or none at all, may occur if:
R there are vehicles or obstacles, e.g. crash
barriers, on both sides of your vehicle.
R a vehicle approaches too closely on the
side.
R you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds.
R you brake or accelerate decisively.
R a driving safety system intervenes, e.g.
ESP ®
.
R ESP ®
is deactivated.
R the LOW RANGE off-road gear is activated.
R a loss of tyre pressure has been detected.
Activating Active Blind Spot Assist Driving systems
195Driving and parking Z

X
Make sure that active Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 220) is activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
Warning lamps :in the exterior mirrors
light up red for approximately
1.5 seconds and then turn yellow.
Towing atrailer If you attach a trailer, make sure tha
tyou have
correctly established the electrical connec-
tion. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. Active Blind Spot Assist is
then deactivated. The indicator lamp lights up
yellow in the exterior mirrors and the ActiveBlind Spot Assist currently unavail‐
able See Owner's Manual message
appears in the multifunction display. HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
R
when pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
R when manoeuvring on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancelled and the HOLD
function is deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
i Do not use the HOLD function when driv-
ing off-road, on steep uphill or downhill gra-
dients or on slippery or loose surfaces. The
HOLD function cannot hold the vehicle on
such surfaces. Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R
the vehicle is stationary.
R the engine is running or it has been
switched off by the ECO start/stop func-
tion (AMG vehicles).
R the engine is running.
R the driver's door is closed or your seat belt
is fastened.
R the transmission is in position D,Ror N.
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
Activating the HOLD function The vehicle's brakes are applied when the
HOLD function is activated. For this reason,
deactivate the HOLD function while in the car
wash or while towing.
X
Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until ë appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away
despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply
R the HOLD function is deactivated by the
accelerator pedal being depressed, e.g. by
a vehicle occupant
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with
R the battery is disconnected 196
Driving systemsDriving and parking

There is a risk of an accident.
Before leaving the vehicle, always deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
from rolling away.
The HOLD function is deactivated automati-
cally if:
R you accelerate and the transmission is in
position Dor R.
R you shift the transmission to position P.
R you depress the brake pedal again with a
certain amount of pressure until ëdis-
appears from the multifunction display.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
On steep uphill or downhill gradients or if
there is a malfunction, the transmission may
also be automatically shifted into position P.4MATIC (permanent all-wheel drive)
! Never tow the vehicle with one axle
raised. This may damage the transfer case.
Damage of this sort is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz implied warranty. All
wheels must remain either on the ground
or be fully raised. Observe the instructions
for towing the vehicle with all wheels in full
contact with the ground.
! When testing the parking brake, operate
the vehicle only briefly (for a maximum of
ten seconds) on a brake test dynamometer.
When doing this, turn the key to position
0 or 1in the ignition .Failure to do this can
cause damage to the drive train or the
brake system.
! A function or performance test should
only be carried out on atwin-axle dyna-
mometer. Before you operate the vehicle
on such a dynamometer, please consult a
qualified workshop .You could otherwise
damage the drive train or the brake system.
4MATIC ensures that all four wheels are per-
manently driven. Together with ESP ®
and
4ETS, it improves the traction of your vehicle whenever a drive wheel spins due to insuffi-
cient grip.
If a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip:
R
when pulling away, only depress the accel-
erator pedal as far as is necessary.
R accelerate less when driving.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, 4MATIC
can neither reduce the risk of accident nor
override the laws of physics. 4MATIC cannot
take account of road, weather and traffic con-
ditions. 4MATIC is only an aid. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good
time and for staying in lane. Only engage
4MATIC when the current road, weather and
traffic conditions permit it to be done safely,
and adapt your driving style accordingly.
Drive carefully and maintain a suitable dis-
tance to the vehicle in front.
i In wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if
you use winter tyres (M+ Styres), with snow
chains if necessary.
Fo rinformation abou tdriving off-road, see
(Y page 169). PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes !
When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars .PARK-
TRONIC does not detect such objects when
they are in the immediate vicinity of the
vehicle. You could damage the vehicle or
the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and
objects which absorb ultrasoni csources.
Ultrasonic sources, such as an automatic
car wash, a lorry's compressed-air brakes
or a pneumatic drill, could cause PARK-
TRONIC to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on
uneven terrain. Driving systems
197Driving and parking Z