2012 MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS SUV ESP

PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors
.Itindicates visually and
audibly the distance between your vehicle
and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a replace-
ment for your attention to your immediate
surroundings. You are always responsible for
safe manoeuvring, parking and exiting a park-
ing space. Check in front, behind and to the
sides of the vehicle before manoeuvring,
parking or exiting a parking space. There
must not be any persons, animals or objects
in the area in which yo uare manoeuvring.
PARKTRONIC cannot identify any persons or
objects outside of the detection range. As a
result, PARKTRONIC cannot warn you about
objects in this area.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically if
you:
R switch on the ignition
R shift the transmission to position D,Ror N
R release the parking brake
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
18 km/h. It is reactivated at lower speeds.
PARKTRONIC monitors the area around your
vehicle using six sensors in the front bumper
and four sensors in the rear bumper.
Range of the sensors General notes
:
Example: sensors in the front bumper,
left-hand side Side view
Top view
The sensors must be free of dirt, ice and
slush. Otherwise, they may not function cor-
rectly. Clean the sensors regularly, taking
care not to scratch or damage them
(Y
page 298).
Front sensors Centre Approximately 100 cm
Corners Approximately 60 cm
Rear sensors
Centre Approximately 90 cm
(from spare wheel)
Corners Approximately 80 cm
Minimum distance
Centre Approximately 20 cm
Corners Approximately 20 cm
If there is an obstacle withi
nthis range, the
relevant warning displays light up and a warn-
ing tone sounds. If the distance falls below
the minimum, the distance may no longer be
shown. 198
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Problems with PARKTRONIC
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
You also hear a warning
tone for approximately
two seconds.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after a few sec-
onds, and the indicator
lamp in the PARK-
TRONIC button lights
up. PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has switched off.
X
If problems persist, have PARKTRONIC checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after a few sec-
onds. The PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is interference.
X
Cleant he PARKTRONIC sensors (Y page 298).
X Switch the ignition back on. The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or
ultrasound waves.
X
See if PARKTRONIC functions in a different location. Reversing camera
Important safety notes The reversing camera is only an aid. It is not
a replacement for your attention to your
immediate surroundings. You are always
responsible for safe manoeuvring and park-
ing. When manoeuvring or parking, make sure
that there are no persons, animals or objects
in the area in which you are manoeuvring.
Under the following circumstances, the
reversing camera will not function, or will
function in a limited manner:
R the rear door is open
R in heavy rain, snow or fog
R at night or in very dark places
R if the camera is exposed to very bright light
R if the area is lit by fluorescent light or LED
lighting (the display may flicker) R
if there is a sudden change in temperature,
e.g. when driving into a heated garage in
winter
R if the camera lens is dirty or obstructed
R if the rear of your vehicle is damaged. In
this event, have the camera position and
setting checked at a qualified specialist
workshop. Mercedes-Ben zrecommends
that you use a Mercedes-BenzS ervice
Centre for this purpose. 200
Driving systemsDriving and parking

HIGH
RANGE
Position for all normal on-
road driving conditions
LOW
RANGE
Low-range position for driv-
ing off-road
Also for use on steep uphill
or downhill gradients, espe-
cially when towing a trailer
The vehicle travels around
halft
he speed of on-road
driving range HIGH RANGE.
The tractive power is corre-
spondingly higher. Shifting the transfer case
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
When the transfer case is in the neutral posi-
tion, power transmission to the driven wheels
is interrupted. As a result, the vehicle could
roll away.T here is a risk of an accident.
Secure the vehicle with the parking brake, and
on uphill or downhill gradients, also secure it
with a device such as a wheel chock. G
WARNING
When the transfer case is in the neutral posi-
tion, power transmission to the driven wheels
is interrupted. As a result, the vehicle could
roll away.T here is a risk of an accident.
Secure the vehicle with the parking brake, and
on uphill or downhill gradients, also secure it
with a device such as a wheel chock.
Always wait for the gear change process from
HIGH RANGE toLOW RANGE and from
LOW RANGE toHIGH RANGE to complete.
Do not turn off the engine while changing gear
and do not shift the automatic transmission
to another gear. General notes :
Current shift range :
Indicator lamp
; LOW RANGE button
Switching on the off-road gear ratio
! Only carry out the gear selection if:
R the engine is running.
R the vehicle is rolling.
R the automatic transmission is in selector
lever position N.
R you are driving at less than 40 km/h.
You could otherwise damage the transfer
case. i
AMG vehicles: to shift the transfer case
to LOW RANGE, deactivate the ECO start/
stop function (Y page 146).202
Off-road driving systemsDriving and parking

Differential lock
General notes G
WARNING
Whe ndifferential locks are engaged on a firm,
high-grip surface, the vehicle's steerability is
greatly impaired .Inparticular, engaging the
differential locks when cornering could lead
to you losing control of the vehicle .There is a
risk of an accident.
Disengage the differential locks immediately
on firm, high-grip surfaces.
! To prevent damage in the transfer case,
you may only operate the vehicle on a roller
dynamometer (single-axle roller dynamom-
eter) if:
R the axle that is not being driven is raised.
or
R the corresponding propeller shaft is dis-
connected and the transfer case differ-
ential lock is activated.
Otherwise, the transfer case can be dam-
aged.
Differential locks improve the traction of the
vehicle.
Your vehicle is equipped with adifferential
lock for:
R the transfer case: this controls the balance
between the front and rear axles.
R the rear axle: this controls the balance
between the wheels on the rear axle.
R the front axle: this controls the balance
between the wheels on the front axle.
Activating the differentia llock Important safety notes
G
WARNING
When differential locks are engaged on a firm,
high-grip surface, the vehicle's steerability is
greatly impaired. In particular, engaging the
differential locks when cornering could lead to you losing control of the vehicle
.There is a
risk of an accident.
Disengage the differential locks immediately
on firm, high-grip surfaces. G
WARNING
ABS, 4ETS, ESP ®
and BAS are deactivated
while the differential locks are engaged. As a
result, the wheels could lock when braking
and the braking distance is increased. There
is a risk of an accident.
Disengage the differential locks immediately
on firm, high-grip surfaces.
! Only activate the differential locks when:
R you are driving at walking pace.
R the driven wheels are not spinning.
R you are not driving on a firm road surface.
General notes
The switches are located on the centre con-
sole. :
Function indicator lamps (red)
; Differential lock for the front axle
= Differential lock for the transfer case
? Differential lock for the rear axle
A Activation indicator lamps (yellow)
Activate the differential locks:
R off-road
R to deactivate ABS, 4ETS, ESP ®
and BAS
when off-road
R when fording 204
Off-road driving systemsDriving and parking

For further information on driving off-road,
see (Y page 169).
i You can only engage the differential locks
if the transfer case is in the LOW RANGE
off-road driving positio n(Ypage 201).
i You can activate the differential locks in
the following order =,?,;.
Differential lock for the transfer case X
To engage: switch the transfer case to the
LOW RANGE off-road driving position
(Y page 202).
X Press switch =.
When the transfer case is in the LOW
RANGE off-road driving position, the yellow
activation indicator lamp below switch =
lights up.
The å warning lamp in the instrument
panel lights up.
When the differential is locked, the red
function indicator lamp above switch =
lights up.
The following message appears in the mul-
tifunction display:
ABS not available differential locked
The
å!÷ warning lamps in the
instrument cluster light up.
The differential lock for the transfer case is
engaged.
4ETS, ESP ®
, BASa nd ABS ar edeactivated.
The vehicle's ability to steer is severely
restricted. Drive carefully and accelerate gen-
tly for optimum traction.
i You can now engage the differential lock
for rear axle ?and the differential lock for
front axle ;as required. Differential lock for the rear axle X
To engage: press switch ?.
Yellow activation indicator lamp Alights
up first, followed by red function indicator
lamp :of switch ?.
The differential lock for the rear axle is
engaged.
Differential lock for the front axle X
To engage: press switch ;.
The yellow activation indicator lamp lights
up first, followed by the red function indi-
cator lamp.
The differential lock for the front axle is
engaged.
Deactivating the differential lock You can deactivate the differential locks in
this order:
;,?,=.
X To simultaneously deactivate all differ-
ential locks: press switch=.
Yellow activation indicator lamps Aand
red function indicator lamps :go out.
After approximately three seconds of nor-
mal driving, ABS, 4ETS, ESP ®
and BAS are
activated.
The ABS not available differential
locked message disappears from the mul-
tifunction display and the å,!and
÷ warning lamps in the instrument clus-
ter go out.
X Shift the transfer case to the HIGH
RANGE on-road position (Y page 202).
If red function indicator lamps :do not go
out when deactivating the differential locks:
X Observe the traffic situation.
X While driving, make some gentle steering
movements.
Red function indicator lamps :go out as
soon as the differential locks have been
disengaged. Off-road driving systems
205Driving and parking Z

Towing
atrailer Notes on towing
atrailer
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The braking syste mcan overheat if you leave
your foo tonthe brake pedal while driving.
This increases the braking distance and could
even cause the braking system to fail. There
is a risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest.Do
not simultaneously depress both the brake
pedal and the accelerato rpedal while driving. G
WARNING
You could lose control of the vehicle/trailer
combination if it begins to swerve. The vehi-
cle/trailer combination could even overturn.
There is a risk of an accident.
On no account should you attempt to
straighten out the vehicle/trailer combina-
tion by increasing speed. Decrease your
speed and do not countersteer. Brake if nec-
essary. G
WARNING
If the ball coupling has not been correctly fit-
ted and has not been secured with the bolt
supplied and the correspondin gspring cotter,
the trailer can detach. There is a risk of an
accident.
Always fit and secure the ball coupling as
described. Before beginning each journey,
make sure that the fitted ball coupling is
secured with the bolt supplied and the corre-
sponding spring cotter.
You will find the applicable permissible val-
ues, which must not be exceeded, in the vehi-
cle documents. You will find the values
approved by the manufacturer on the vehicle
identification plates and those for the towing
vehicle in the "Technical data" section
(Y page 340). Couple and uncouple the trailer carefully. If
you do not couple the trailer to the towing
vehicle correctly, the trailer could become
detached.
Make sure that the following values are not
exceeded:
R the permissible trailer drawbar noseweight
R the permissible trailer load
R the permissible rear axle load of the towing
vehicle
R the maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight of both the towing vehicle and the
trailer
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be differen tincomparison
to when driving without a trailer.
The vehicle/trailer combination:
R is heavier
R is restricted in its acceleration and gradi-
ent-climbing capability
R has an increased braking distance
R is affected more by strong crosswinds
R demands more sensitive steering
R has a larger turning circle
This can impair the vehicle's handling char-
acteristics.
When towing a trailer, always adjust your
speed to the current road and weather con-
ditions. Do not exceed the maximum permis-
sible speed for your vehicle/trailer combina-
tion.
General notes !
Use a drawbar noseweight as close to the
maximum permissible noseweight as pos-
sible. Do not use a noseweight of less than
80 kg; otherwise, the trailer may come
loose.
Note that the payload and the rear axle load
are reduced by the actual payload.
i When towing a trailer, set the tyre pres-
sure on the rear axle of the towing vehicle 206
Towing
atrailerDriving an d parking

=
Rev counter (Y page 212)
? Coolan ttemperature (Y page 212)
A Fuel gauge
B Instrument cluster lighting (Y page 212)Instrument cluster lighting
The lighting in the instrument cluster, in the
displays and the controls in the vehicle inte-
rior can be adjusted using the brightness con-
trol knob.
The brightness control knob is located on the
bottom left of the instrument cluster
(Y page 211).
X Turn the brightness control knob clockwise
or anti-clockwise.
If the light switch is set to Ã,Tor
L, the brightness is dependen tupon
the brightness of the ambient light.
i The light senso rinthe instrumentc luster
automatically controls the brightness of
the multifunction display.
In daylight, the displays in the instrument
cluster are not illuminated. Displaying the coolant temperature
The coolan ttemperature gauge is in the
instrument cluster on the right-hand side
(Y page 211).
The reading may rise up to 120 †undernor-
mal driving conditions if the coolant has been
filled correctly.
At high outside temperatures and when driv-
ing uphill, the coolant temperature may rise
to the end of the scale. Rev counter
! Do not drive in the overrevving range.
Doing so will damage the engine.
The red band in the rev counter indicates the
engine's overrevving range. The fuel supply is interrupted to protec
tthe
engine when the red band is reached. Outside temperature display
G
WARNING
At temperatures just above freezing point, the
street may be icy, especially in wooded areas
or on bridges. If you do not adapt your driving
style to the conditions, the vehicle could skid.
For this reason, adapt your driving style and
speed to the weather conditions.
The outside temperature displayi s in the mul-
tifunction display (Y page 214).
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay. Speedometer with segments
The segments in the speedometer indicate
which speed range is available.
R Cruise control activated (Y page 173):
The segments light up from the stored
speed to the maximum speed.
R Variable SPEEDTRONIC activated
(Y page 178):
The segments light up from the start of the
scale to the selected limit speed.
R DISTRONIC PLUS activated (Y page 184):
One or two segments in the set speed
range light up.
R DISTRONIC PLUS detects avehicle in front:
The segments between the speed of the
vehicle in fron tand the stored speed light
up. 212
Displays and operationOn-board computer and displays

using the full output of the engine during this
time.
SETUP
:
Drive program (C /SS+ /M )
; ESP ®
mode (ON /OFF )
= Suspension tuning (SPORT /COMFORT )
SETUP shows the drive program, the ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program) mode and the
SPORT handling mode.
X Press =or; on the steering wheel
to select the AMG menu.
X Press the 9buttonrepeatedly until
SETUP is displayed.
RACETIMER Displaying and starting the RACETIMER
G
WARNING
The RACETIMER feature is only for use on
roads and in conditions where high speed
driving is permitted. Racing on public roads is
prohibited under all circumstances. The driver
is and must always remain responsible for fol-
lowing posted speed limits. :
Lap
; RACETIMER
You can start the RACETIMER when the
engine is running or if the key is in position
2(Y page 143) in the ignition lock. X
Press =or; on the steering wheel
to select the AMG menu.
X Press the 9button repeatedly until the
RACETIMER is shown.
X To start: press the abutton to start the
RACETIMER.
Displaying the intermediate time X
Press the =or; button to select
Interm. Time .
X Press ato confirm.
The intermediate time is displayed for five
seconds.
Starting a new lap :
RACETIMER
; Fastes tlap time (bes tlap)
= Lap
X Press ato confirm New Lap .
i It is possible to store a maximum of six-
teen laps. The 16th lap can only be com-
pleted with Finish Lap .
Stopping the RACETIMER 226
Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays