2013 MERCEDES-BENZ G-Class brakes

Driving downhill
R
Before tackling steep downhill gradients,
select shift range 1(Y page 150).
This way you use the engine's braking
effect to reduce the speed. If this is not
sufficient, brake gently. When doing so,
make sure that the vehicle is facing in the
direction of the line of fall.
R Observe the notes on driving in
mountainous terrain (Y page 168).
R Drive slowly.
R Do not drive at an angle down steep
inclines.
Steer into the line of fall and drive
with the front wheels aligned straight.
Otherwise, the vehicle could slip sideways,
tip and roll over.
R Check that the brakes are working normally
after a long downhill stretch.
i The special off-road ABS setting
(Y page 61) enables repeated, brief,
precise locking of the front wheels, which
leads to the wheels digging into the loose
ground. Note that when the front wheels
are fully braked, they slide easily over the
surface of the ground, making it difficult to
steer. Driving systems
Cruise control
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The brake pedal moves when cruise control
brakes the vehicle. A foot in the area under
the brake pedal could become trapped. The
movement of the pedal, and therefore the
vehicle's

ability to brake, may be restricted by
objects in the area under the brake. There is
a risk of an accident and injury.
Do not place your foot under the brake pedal.
Keep the area under the brake pedal free from
obstructions. If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of
accident nor override the laws of physics.
Cruise control cannot take account of road,
weather

and traffic conditions. Cruise control
is only an aid. You are responsible for the
distance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle
speed and for braking in good time. Adjust
your driving style to the traffic conditions.
Only engage cruise control when the current
road, weather and traffic conditions permit it
to be done safely. Drive carefully and
maintain a suitable distance to the vehicle in
front.
Do not use cruise control:
R in traffic conditions that do not allow you
to drive at a constant speed, e.g. heavy
traffic, on winding roads or off-road
R on slippery road surfaces. Braking or
accelerating could cause the drive wheels
to lose traction and the vehicle could then
skid
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. On long and steep downhill
gradients, especially if the vehicle is laden,
you must select shift range 1, 2 or 3 in good
time. By doing so, you will make use of the
braking effect of the engine, which relieves
the load on the brake system and prevents
the

brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic
conditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h).
i Cruise control should not be activated
during off-road driving. Driving systems
169
Driving and parking Z

Storing and maintaining the current
speed
Storing and maintaining
:
To activate or increase speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
? To activate or reduce speed
A To switch between cruise control and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
You can store the current speed if you are
driving faster than 20 mph (30 km/h ).
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
i Cruise
control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill and downhill
gradients. The stored speed is resumed
when the gradient levels out. Cruise control
maintains the stored speed on downhill
gradients by automatically applying the
brakes.
Calling up the last speed stored G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it is lower
than the current speed, the vehicle decelerates. If you do not know the stored
speed, the vehicle could decelerate
unexpectedly. There is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic
conditions

before calling up the stored speed.
If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again. :
To activate or increase speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
? To activate or reduce speed
A To switch between cruise control and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated and adjusts the
vehicle's speed to the last speed stored.
i If
no speed is stored, cruise control stores
the current speed and maintains it. Driving systems
171
Driving and parking Z

Calling up the last speed stored
Storing and maintaining
:
To activate or increase speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
? To activate or reduce speed
A To switch between cruise control and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
You can store the current speed if you are
driving faster than 20 mph (30 km/h ).
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
i Cruise
control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill and downhill
gradients. The stored speed is resumed
when the gradient levels out. Cruise control
maintains the stored speed on downhill
gradients by automatically applying the
brakes.
Calling up the last speed stored G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it is lower
than the current speed, the vehicle
decelerates. If you do not know the stored speed, the vehicle could decelerate
unexpectedly. There is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic
conditions

before calling up the stored speed.
If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again. :
To activate or increase speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
? To activate or reduce speed
A To switch between cruise control and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated and adjusts the
vehicle's speed to the last speed stored.
i If
no speed is stored, cruise control stores
the current speed and maintains it. 172
Driving systems
Driving and parking

done safely. Drive carefully and maintain a
suitable distance to the vehicle in front.
General notes
SPEEDTRONIC brakes automatically so that
you
do not exceed the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must
select shift range 1, 2 or 3 in good time. By
doing so, you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine, which relieves the load
on the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly. If
you need additional braking, depress the
brake pedal repeatedly rather than
continuously.
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Cruise control lever :
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To call up the last speed stored
? To store the current speed or a lower
speed
A To switch between cruise control and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate variable SPEEDTRONIC
You can operate cruise control and variable
SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever. The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have
selected:
R
LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control is
selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable
SPEEDTRONIC is selected.
You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the

speed to any speed above 30 km/h while
the engine is running.
Selecting variable SPEEDTRONIC :
To activate or increase speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
? To activate or reduce speed
A To switch between cruise control and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
If you fail to adapt your driving style,
SPEEDTRONIC
can neither reduce the risk of
accident nor override the laws of physics.
SPEEDTRONIC cannot take account of road,
weather and traffic conditions.
SPEEDTRONIC 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
SPEEDTRONIC when the current road,
weather and traffic conditions permit it to be
done safely. Drive carefully and maintain a
suitable distance to the vehicle in front.
X Check whether LIM indicator lamp ;
is on. Driving systems
175
Driving and parking Z

If it is on, variable SPEEDTRONIC is already
selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow A.
LIM
indicator lamp ; in the cruise control
lever lights up. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is
selected.
Storing the current speed :
To activate or increase speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
? To activate or reduce speed
A To switch between cruise control and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the
speed to any speed above 18 km/h while
the engine is running.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ?.
The current speed is stored and shown in
the multifunction display.
i On downhill gradients, the speed can be
exceeded despite variable SPEEDTRONIC.
If this is the case, you will hear a warning
tone and the Limit Exceeded message
appears

in the multifunction display. Apply
the brakes yourself if required. Calling up the last speed stored Calling up the last speed stored
:
To activate or increase speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
? To activate or reduce speed
A To switch between cruise control and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
If you fail to adapt your driving style,
SPEEDTRONIC
can neither reduce the risk of
accident nor override the laws of physics.
SPEEDTRONIC cannot take account of road,
weather and traffic conditions.
SPEEDTRONIC 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
SPEEDTRONIC when the current road,
weather and traffic conditions permit it to be
done safely. Drive carefully and maintain a
suitable distance to the vehicle in front.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
i If you call up the stored speed and your
current speed is higher, you will hear a
warning tone. The Limit Exceeded
message appears in the multifunction
display.
i If no speed is stored, variable
SPEEDTRONIC stores the current speed
and maintains it. 176
Driving systems
Driving and parking

Deactivating variable SPEEDTRONIC
There are several ways to deactivate variable
SPEEDTRONIC:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever
forwards B.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
LIM
indicator lamp ; in the cruise control
lever goes out. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is
deactivated.
Cruise control is selected.
It is not possible to deactivate variable
SPEEDTRONIC by braking.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is deactivated
automatically when you depress the
accelerator pedal beyond the pressure point
(kickdown), but only if your current speed
does

not differ by more than 12 mph from the
stored speed. DISTRONIC PLUS
Important safety notes G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to:
R people or animals
R stationary obstacles on the road, e.g.
stopped or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic As a result, DISTRONIC PLUS may neither give
warnings nor intervene in such situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake.
G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly
identify other road users and complex traffic
situations.
In such cases, DISTRONIC PLUS may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R neither give a warning nor intervene
R accelerate unexpectedly
There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, in particular when warned to do so by
DISTRONIC PLUS. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up
to 40% of the maximum braking force. If this
braking

force is insufficient, DISTRONIC PLUS
warns you visually and audibly. There is a risk
of an accident.
In such cases, apply the brakes yourself and
try to take evasive action. G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it differs
from the current speed, the vehicle
accelerates

or decelerates. If you do not know
the stored speed, the vehicle could accelerate
or brake unexpectedly. There is a risk of an
accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic
conditions before calling up the stored speed.
If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again.
If you fail to adapt your driving style,
DISTRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk
of accident nor override the laws of physics.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take account of Driving systems
177
Driving and parking Z

road, weather and traffic conditions.
DISTRONIC PLUS 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
DISTRONIC PLUS 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 distance to the vehicle in front.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a risk of collision
but cannot sufficiently decelerate the vehicle
in order to maintain the set distance, you will
be warned visually and acoustically.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot prevent a collision
without your intervention. An intermittent
warning 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 recognize dangers
in time, cause an accident and injure yourself
and others.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if there is:
R the sensor is dirty or covered
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R there is the possibility of strong radar
reflections, for example, in parking
garages.
If DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.
This can happen unexpectedly, 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 activation conditions must be fulfilled (
Y page 179) and the radar sensor
system must be operational.
General notes DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the
distance to the vehicle detected in front.
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes automatically so
that the set speed is not exceeded.
On long and steep downhill gradients,
especially if the vehicle is laden or towing a
trailer, you must select shift range
1, 2 or 3
in good time. By doing so, you will make use
of the braking effect of the engine, which
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 20 mph
(Canada: 30 km/h) and120 mph (Canada:
200 km/h). If a vehicle is driving in front of
you, it operates in the speed range between
0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph (Canada:
200 km/h).
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on
roads with steep gradients.
As DISTRONIC PLUS transmits radar waves,
it can resemble the radar detectors of the
responsible authorities. You can refer to the
relevant chapter in the Operator's Manual if
questions are asked about this.
i USA only:
This device has been approved by the FCC
as a “Vehicular Radar System”. The radar
sensor is intended for use in an automotive
radar system only. Removal, tampering, or
altering of the device will void any
warranties, and is not permitted by the
FCC. Do not tamper with, alter, or use in
any non-approved way. 178
Driving systems
Driving and parking

stored. Otherwise, it sets the vehicle cruise
speed to the previously stored value.
Driving with DISTRONIC PLUS Pulling away and driving
X
If the vehicle in front pulls away: remove
your foot from the brake pedal.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?, or press it up : or down A.
or
X Accelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in front has slowed down, it brakes your
vehicle. In this way, the distance you have
selected is maintained.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in front is driving faster, it accelerates your
vehicle, but only up to the speed you have
stored.
If

you depress the brake, DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated unless your vehicle is stationary. Changing lanes
If

you change to the passing lane, DISTRONIC
PLUS supports you when:
R you are driving faster than 40 mph
(60 km/h).
R DISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the
distance to a vehicle in front.
R you switch on the appropriate turn signal.
R DISTRONIC PLUS does not detect a danger
of collision.
If these conditions are fulfilled, your vehicle
is accelerated. Acceleration will be
interrupted if changing lanes takes too long
or if the distance between your vehicle and
the vehicle in front becomes too small.
i When changing lanes, DISTRONIC PLUS
monitors the left lane on left-hand drive
vehicles and the right lane on 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
vehicle occupant or from outside the
vehicle.
R the electrical system in the engine
compartment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
R the accelerator pedal 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 front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until
it is stationary. Driving systems
181
Driving and parking Z