2012 MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS SUV warning light

be warned visually and acoustically. DIS-
TRONIC PLUS cannot preven tacollision with-
out your intervention. An intermittent warn-
ing tone will then sound and the distance
warning lamp will light up in the instrument
cluster. Brake immediately in order to
increase the distance from the vehicle in
front, or take evasive action, provided it is
safe to do so.
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow
vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line. Therefore,
always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when DISTRONIC PLUS is activated.
Otherwise, you may fail to recognise dangers
in time, cause an accident and injure yourself
and others.
If DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.
This can happe nunexpectedly, especially
when towing or in a car wash. There is a risk
of an accident. In these or similar situations,
deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS.
If you want DISTRONIC PLUS to assist you,
the following activatio nconditions must be
fulfilled (Y page 184) and the radar sensor
system must be operational.
General notes DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the dis-
tance to the vehicle detected in front. DIS-
TRONIC PLUS brakes automatically so that
the set speed is not exceeded.
On long and steep downhill gradients, espe-
cially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer,
you must select shift range 1,2or 3in good
time. By doing so, you will make use of the
braking effect of the engine. This relieves the
load on the brake system and prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a slower-moving
vehicle in front, your vehicle is braked in order
to maintain the preset distance to the vehicle
in front. If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control in the speed range between
30 km/ha
nd 200 km/h. If avehicle is driving
in front of you, DISTRONIC operates in the
speed range between 0km/h and
200 km/h.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS on roads with
steep gradients.
Cruise control lever :
To activate or increase speed
; To set the specified minimu mdistance
= LIM indicator lamp
? To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
A To activate or reduce speed
B To switch between DISTRONIC PLUS and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
C To deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS
With the cruise control lever, you can operate
DISTRONIC PLUS and variable SPEED-
TRONIC.
X To switch between variable SPEED-
TRONIC and DISTRONIC PLUS: press the Driving systems
183Driving and parking Z

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

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

Monitoring range of the sensors
Blind Spot Assist monitors the area up to
three metres behind yourv ehicle and directly
nextt o your vehicle as shown in the diagram.
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 the vehicles are driving on the
inner side of their lane.
Due to the nature of the system:
R warnings may be issued in error when driv-
ing close to crash barriers or similar solid
lane borders.
R warnings may be interrupted when driving
alongside long vehicles, for example lor-
ries, for a prolonged time.
The two sensors for Blind Spot Assist are
integrated into the sides of the rear bumper.
Make sure that the bumper is free of dirt, ice
or slush in the vicinit yofthe sensors. The
radar sensors must not be covered, for exam-
ple by cycle racks or overhanging loads. Fol-
lowing a severe impact or in the event of dam-
age to the bumpers, have the function of the
radar sensors checked at aqualified special-
ist workshop. Blind Spot Assist may other-
wise no twork properly. Indicator and warning display 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. :
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
If Blind Spot Assist is switched on, indicator
lamp :in the exterior mirrors lights up yel-
low up to a speed of 30 km/h. At speeds
above 30 km/h, the indicator lamp goes out
and Blind Spot Assist is operational.
If a vehicle is detected within the monitoring
range of Blind Spot Assist at speeds above
30 km/h, warning lamp :on the corre-
sponding side lights up red. This warning
always occurs when a vehicle enters the blind
spot monitoring range from behind or from
the side. When you overtake a vehicle, the
warning only occurs if the difference in speed
is less than 12 km/h.
The yellow indicator lamp goes out if reverse
gear is engaged. Blind Spot Assist is then
deactivated. Driving systems
191Driving and parking Z

The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted automatically according to
the ambient light.
Collision warning
:
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
If a vehicle is detected in the monitoring range
of Blind Spot Assist and you switch on the
corresponding turn signal, a double warning
tone sounds. Red warning lamp :flashes. If
the turn signal remains on, detected vehicles
are indicated by the flashing of red warning
lamp :.There are no further warning tones.
Switching on Blind Spot Assist :
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
X On vehicles without an integrated naviga-
tion system, make sure that the Becker ®MAP PILOT is connected; see the separate
operating instructions for Audio 20.
X Make sure that Blind Spot Assist is activa-
ted in the on-board computer
(Y page 220).
X Turn the key to position 2(Ypage 143) in
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. Blind Spot Assist is then
deactivated. The indicator lamp lights up yel-
low in the exterior mirrors and the Blind Spot Assist currently unavailable
See Owner's Manual message appears in
the multifunction display.
i You can deactivate the indicator lamps in
the exterior mirrors.
To do so, switch off Blind Spot Assist if:
R the key is in position 2in the ignition
lock.
R the engine is not running.
R the electrical connection to the trailer
has been established. Active Blind Spot Assist
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Active 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 192
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Due to the nature of the system:
R
warnings may be issued in error when driv-
ing close to crash barriers or simila rsolid
lane borders.
R warnings may be interrupted when driving
alongside particularly long vehicles, for
example lorries, for a prolonged time.
Two Active Blind Spot Assist radar sensors
are integrated into the front and rear bumpers
respectively. An additional radar sensor is
located behind the cover in the radiator grille.
Make sure that the bumpers and the cover in
the radiator grille are free of dirt, ice or slush.
The rear sensors must not be covered, e.g. by
bicycle racks or overhanging loads. Following
a severe impact or in the event of damage to
the bumpers, have the function of the radar
sensors checked at a qualified specialist
workshop. Active Blind Spot Assist may oth-
erwise no longer work properly.
Indicator and warning display G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds
below 30 km/h. The indicator lamps in the
exterior mirrors are yellow .Vehicles in the
monitoring range are then not indicated.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions and
your surroundings. Otherwise, you may fail to
recognise dangers in time and cause an acci-
dent and injure yourself and others. :
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
When Active Blind Spot Assist is activated,
indicator lamp :in the exterior mirrors lights up yellow at speeds of up to 30 km/h. At
speeds above 30 km/h, the indicator lamp
goes out and Active Blind Spot Assist is
operational.
If a vehicle is detected within the monitoring
range of Blind Spot Assist at speeds above
30 km/h, warning lamp :on the corre-
sponding side lights up red. This warning
always occurs when a vehicle enters the blind
spot monitoring range from behind or from
the side. When you overtake a vehicle, the
warning only occurs if the difference in speed
is less than 12 km/h.
The yellow indicator lamp goes out if reverse
gear is engaged. Active Blind Spot Assist is
then no longer active.
The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted automatically according to
the ambient light.
Visual and acoustic collision warning When you switch on the turn signals to
change lanes and a vehicle is detected in the
side monitoring range, you receive a visual
and acoustic collision warning. You then hear
a double warning tone and red warning
lamp
:flashes. If the turn signal remains on,
detected vehicles are indicated by the flash-
ing of red warning lamp :.There are no fur-
ther warning tones. 194
Driving systemsDriving and parking

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