2013 MERCEDES-BENZ G-Class lights

Adaptive brake lamps
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 30 mph (50 km/h
) or if braking is
assisted by BAS, the brake lamps flash
rapidly. In this way, traffic traveling behind
you is warned in an even more noticeable
manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 45 mph (70 km/h) to a standstill, the
hazard warning lamps are activated
automatically. If the brakes are applied again,
the brake lamps light up continuously. If you
drive faster than 6 mph (10 km/h), the hazard
warning lamps are deactivated automatically.
You can also switch off the hazard warning
lamps using the hazard warning button
(Y page 104). ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section ( Y page 60).G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further
driving safety systems are deactivated. This
increases

the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! Only operate the vehicle for a maximum
of ten seconds on a brake test
dynamometer. Switch off the ignition.
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may
otherwise destroy the brake system.
! A function or performance test should
only be carried out on a two-axle
dynamometer. 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. ESP
®
monitors driving stability and traction.
Traction is the power transmission between
the tires and the road surface.
ESP ®


is deactivated if the å warning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up
continuously when the engine is running.
If the ÷ warning lamp and the å
warning lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not
available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 252) and any display messages that
appear in the instrument cluster
(Y page 226).
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilize the
vehicle. If necessary, the engine output is also
modified to keep the vehicle on the desired
course within physical limits. ESP ®
assists
the driver when pulling away on wet or
slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilize the
vehicle during braking.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the ÷ warning lamp
flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP ®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any
circumstances.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal as far
as necessary when pulling away.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the
prevailing road and weather conditions.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tire sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
i If

differential locks are switched on, ABS,
BAS and ESP ®
switch themselves off
automatically.
4ETS (Electronic Traction System) Traction control remains active if you
deactivate ESP
®
. 62
Driving safety systems
Safety

X
If appropriate for the driving conditions,
engage the LOW RANGE off-road gear
(Y page 199).
Traction control is part of ESP ®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels
individually if they spin. This enables you to
pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces,
for example if the road surface is slippery on
one side. In addition, more drive torque is
transferred to the wheel or wheels with
traction.
Traction control remains active if you
deactivate ESP ®
.
At speeds above approximately 37 mph
(60 km/h), traction control is no longer
active.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels
individually if they spin. This enables you to
pull away and accelerate on slippery surfaces,
for example if the road surface is slippery on
one side. In addition, more drive torque is
transferred to the wheel or wheels with
traction.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer
stabilizes the vehicle. There is an increased
risk of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations
described in the following.
! Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ®
deactivated.
You

could otherwise damage the drivetrain. X
To deactivate: press button : until the
å warning lamp lights up in the
instrument cluster.
X To activate: press button : until the
å warning lamp goes out in the
instrument cluster.
ESP ®
is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
i Vehicles with the ECO start/stop
function: the ECO start/stop function
automatically

switches the engine off when
the vehicle comes to a stop. The engine
starts automatically when the driver wants
to pull away again. ESP ®
remains in its
previously selected status. Example: if
ESP ®
was deactivated before the engine
was switched off, ESP ®
remains
deactivated when the engine is switched on
again.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the
following situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R the engine's torque is no longer limited and
the drive wheels can spin. The spinning of
the wheels results in a cutting action, which
provides better grip.
R traction control is still activated. Driving safety systems
63
Safety Z

Restoring the factory settings
X
Press the % and & buttons
simultaneously for approximately six
seconds until battery check lamp :
flashes twice. Mechanical key
General notes If the vehicle can no longer be unlocked with
the SmartKey, use the mechanical key.
If you use the mechanical key to unlock and
open the driver's door or the rear door, the
anti-theft alarm system will be triggered
(Y page 65).
X
To end the alarm: insert the SmartKey into
the ignition lock.
Removing the mechanical key :
Release catch
; Mechanical key X
Push release catch : in the direction of
the arrow and at the same time remove
mechanical key ; from the SmartKey. SmartKey battery
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Batteries contain toxic and corrosive
substances.
If batteries are swallowed, it can
result in severe health problems. There is a
risk of fatal injury.
Keep batteries out of the reach of children. If
a battery is swallowed, seek medical attention
immediately.
The SmartKey batteries contain perchlorate
material, which may require special handling
and regard for the environment. National
guidelines must be observed during disposal.
In California, see www.dtsc.ca.gov/
HazardousWaste/Perchlorate/
index.cfm.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have
the batteries replaced at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Checking the battery X
Press the & or % button.
The battery is working properly if battery
check lamp : lights up briefly. 70
SmartKey
Opening/closing

Adjusting the steering wheel
:
To adjust the steering wheel height
; To adjust the steering wheel position
(fore-and-aft adjustment)
i If the driver's door is open, the steering
wheel can be adjusted for up to
30 minutes after the ignition has been
switched off.
i Further related subjects:
R EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature
(Y page 92)
R Storing settings
(Y page 95) Steering wheel heating
Activating/deactivating :
To switch on the steering-wheel heating
; To switch off the steering-wheel heating
= Indicator lamp
The steering-wheel heating heats the leather
areas of the steering wheel. X
To activate:
make sure that the SmartKey
is in position 1 or 2 in the ignition lock.
X Turn the catch in the direction of
arrow :.
Indicator lamp = lights up.
X To deactivate: make sure that the
SmartKey
is in position 1 or 2 in the ignition
lock.
X Turn the catch in the direction of
arrow ;.
Indicator lamp = goes out.
i The steering wheel heating does not
switch off automatically.
i The

steering wheel heating may switch off
temporarily if:
R the temperature in the vehicle interior is
above 86 ‡ (30 †)
R the temperature of the steering wheel is
above 95 ‡ (35 †)
Indicator lamp = remains on.
i The steering wheel heating is deactivated
if you remove the SmartKey from the
ignition lock.
Problems with the steering wheel
heating :
To switch on the steering-wheel heating
; To switch off the steering-wheel heating
= Indicator lamp Steering wheel
91
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z

Useful information ..............................
98
Exterior lighting .................................. 98
Interior lighting ................................. 105
Replacing bulbs ................................. 108
Windshield wipers ............................114 97Lights and windshield wipers

Useful information
i This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional
equipment of your vehicle available at the
time of publication of the Operator's
Manual. Country-specific differences are
possible.
Please note that your vehicle may
not be equipped with all features
described. This also applies to safety-
related systems and functions.
i Read the information on qualified
specialist workshops: ( Y page 23).Exterior lighting
Important safety notes
For reasons of safety, Mercedes-Benz
recommends that you drive with the lights
switched

on even during the daytime. In some
countries, operation of the headlamps varies
due to legal requirements and self-imposed
obligations. Driving abroad
Conversion to symmetrical low beam Switch the headlamps to symmetrical low
beam in countries in which traffic drives on
the

opposite side of the road from the country
where the vehicle is registered. This prevents
glare to oncoming traffic. When using
symmetrical lights, the edge of the road is not
lit as widely and as far ahead as normal.
Have the headlamps converted at a qualified
specialist workshop as close to the border as
possible before driving in these countries.
Conversion to asymmetrical low beam
after returning Have the headlamps converted back to
asymmetrical low-beam headlamps at a
qualified specialist workshop as soon as
possible after crossing the border again. Light switch
Operation !
Switch off the parking lamps and low-
beam headlamps when you leave the
vehicle. This prevents the battery from
discharging.
! If the battery has been excessively
discharged, the parking lamps or standing
lamps are automatically switched off to
enable the next engine start. Always park
your vehicle safely and sufficiently lit
according to legal standards. Avoid the
continuous use of the T parking lamps
for

several hours. If possible, switch on the
X right or the W left standing lamp. 1W
Left-hand standing lamps
2X Right-hand standing lamps
3T Parking lamps, side marker lamps,
license plate and instrument cluster
lighting
4Ã Automatic headlamp mode/daytime
running lamps
5L Low-beam/high-beam headlamps
If you hear a warning tone when you leave the
vehicle, the lights may still be switched on.
X Turn the light switch to Ã.
The turn signals, high-beam headlamps and
the
high-beam flasher are operated using the
combination switch (Y page 103). 98
Exterior lighting
Lights and windshield wipers

The exterior lighting (except the parking/
standing lamps) switches off automatically if
you:
R
remove
the SmartKey from the ignition lock
R open the driver's door with the SmartKey
in position 0.
Low-beam headlamps 1W
Left-hand standing lamps
2X Right-hand standing lamps
3T Parking lamps, side marker lamps,
license plate and instrument cluster
lighting
4Ã Automatic headlamp mode/daytime
running lamps
5L Low-beam/high-beam headlamps
X To switch on the low-beam headlamps:
turn the SmartKey in the ignition lock to
position 2 or start the engine.
X Turn the light switch to L.
The L indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up. Daytime running lamps Daytime running lamps in Canada
1W
Left-hand standing lamps
2X Right-hand standing lamps
3T Parking lamps, side marker lamps,
license plate and instrument cluster
lighting
4Ã Automatic headlamp mode/daytime
running lamps
5L Low-beam/high-beam headlamps
The daytime running lamps function is
required
by law in Canada. It cannot therefore
be deactivated.
X Turn the light switch to Ã.
With
the engine running: depending on the
ambient light, the daytime running lamps or
the low-beam headlamps are switched on.
When the low-beam headlamps are
switched on, the L indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
When the engine is running and the vehicle is
stationary:
if you move the selector lever from
a drive position to P, the daytime running
lamps/low-beam headlamps go out after
three minutes.
When the engine is running, the vehicle is
stationary and in high ambient light
brightness: if you turn the light switch
to T, you turn on the daytime running
lamps and parking lamps.
If the engine is running and you turn the light
switch to L, the manual settings take
precedence over the daytime running lamps. Exterior lighting
99
Lights and windshield wipers

Daytime running lamps in the USA
1W
Left-hand standing lamps
2X Right-hand standing lamps
3T Parking lamps, side marker lamps,
license plate and instrument cluster
lighting
4Ã Automatic headlamp mode/daytime
running lamps
5L Low-beam/high-beam headlamps
In the USA, the daytime running lamps are
deactivated upon delivery from the factory.
X To activate the daytime running
lamps:
activate the daytime running lamps
function in the on-board computer
(Y page 219).
X Turn the light switch to Ã.
With
the engine running: depending on the
ambient light, the daytime running lamps or
the low-beam headlamps are switched on.
When the low-beam headlamps are
switched on, the L indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
If the engine is running and you turn the light
switch to T or L, the manual settings
take precedence over the daytime running
lamps.
Automatic headlamp mode G
WARNING
If the light switch is set to Ã
and it is foggy,
snowing or there is poor visibility, the low-
beam headlamps will not come on
automatically. This could endanger you and others. In such situations turn the light switch
to L.
The automatic headlamp feature is only an
aid.

The driver is responsible for the vehicle's
lighting at all times. 1W
Left-hand standing lamps
2X Right-hand standing lamps
3T Parking lamps, side marker lamps,
license plate and instrument cluster
lighting
4Ã Automatic headlamp mode/daytime
running lamps
5L Low-beam/high-beam headlamps
X To switch on automatic headlamp
mode: turn the light switch to Ã.
SmartKey

in position 1 in the ignition lock:
the parking lamps are switched on or off
automatically depending on the brightness
of the ambient light.
With the engine running: if you have
activated the daytime running lamps
function in the on-board computer, the
daytime running lamps or the low-beam
headlamps are switched on or off
automatically depending on the brightness
of the ambient light.
When the low-beam headlamps are
switched on, the L indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up. 100
Exterior lighting
Lights and windshield wipers