2015 MERCEDES-BENZ G-Class warning light

the driver's footwell. Install the floormats
securely and as specified in order to ensure
sufficient clearance for the pedals. Do not use loose floormats and do not place floormats ontop of one another. G
WARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correct usage of the pedals, e.g.:
R shoes with thick soles
R shoes with high heels
R slippers
There is a risk of an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensure correct
usage of the pedals. G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect, for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving. G
WARNING
If the parking brake has not been fully
released when driving, the parking brake can:
R overheat and cause a fire
R lose its hold function.
There is a risk of fire and an accident. Release
the parking brake fully before driving off.
! Warm up the engine quickly. Do not use
the engine's full performance until it has
reached operating temperature.
Only shift the automatic transmission to
the desired drive position when the vehicle
is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery
roads. You could otherwise damage the
drive train. !
Avoid high engine speeds when the
engine is cold. The engine's service life
could otherwise be significantly shortened.
Do not use the engine's full performance
until it has reached operating temperature.
! AMG vehicles:
at low engine oil temper-
atures below 68 ‡ (+20 †), the maximum
engine speed is restricted in order to pro-
tect the engine. To protect the engine and
maintain smooth engine operation, avoid
driving at full throttle when the engine is
cold. Key positions
g
To remove the SmartKey
1 Power supply for some consumers, such
as the windshield wipers
2 Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive position
3 To start the engine
As soon as the ignition is switched on, all the
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster light up. If an indicator lamp does not go out after
starting the engine or lights up while driving,
see (Y page 236).
If the SmartKey is in position 0in the ignition
lock for an extended period of time, it can no
longer be turned in the ignition lock. The
steering is then locked. To unlock, remove the SmartKey and reinsert it into the ignition lock.
The steering is locked when you remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. Driving
133Driving an d parking Z

a qualified specialist workshop and have
the fuel tank and fuel lines drained com-
pletely.
! Overfilling the fuel tank could damage the
fuel system.
! Take care not to spill any fuel on painted
surfaces. You could otherwise damage the
paintwork.
! Use a filter when refueling from a fuel can.
Otherwise, the fuel lines and/or injection
system could be blocked by particles from
the fuel can.
If you overfill the fuel tank, pressure may build up in the fuel tank. This could cause fuel to
spray out when the fuel pump nozzle is
removed. There is a risk of injury. The fuel
tank is full when the fuel pump nozzle first
switches off. End the refueling process.
For further information on fuel and fuel quality
(Y page 337). Refueling
Vehicles with a fuel filler flap Example: G 550 fuel filler cap
:
To open the fuel filler flap
; Tire pressure table
= Fuel type
? To insert the fuel filler cap
When you open or close the vehicle with the
SmartKey, the fuel filler flap is automatically
unlocked or locked. The position of the fuel filler cap is displayed
8 in the instrument cluster. The arrow
next to the filling pump indicates the side of
the vehicle. The fuel filler flap is located to the
rear on the right.
Opening the fuel filler cap :
To open the fuel filler flap
; Tire pressure table
= Fuel type
? To insert the fuel filler cap
X Switch the engine off.
i When the engine is running and the fuel
filler flap is open, the yellow reserve fuel
warning lamp and the =(USA only)
or ; (Canada only) Check Engine warn-
ing lamp may light up.
Further information about warning and indi-
cator lamps in the instrument cluster can
be found in the Digital Operator's Manual.
X Remove the SmartKey from the ignition
lock.
X Turn the fuel filler cap counterclockwise
and remove it.
X Insert the fuel filler cap into the holder
bracket on the inside of filler flap ?.
Refueling X
Completely insert the filler neck of the fuel
pump nozzle into the tank and refuel.
i Do not add any more fuel after the pump
stops filling for the first time. Otherwise,
fuel may leak out. 148
RefuelingDriving and parking

G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect, for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving. Switching off the engine
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect, for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving. G
WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
Vehicles with automatic transmission X
Shift the transmission to position P.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0in the igni-
tion lock (Y page 133) and remove it.
The immobilizer is activated.
X Apply the parking brake firmly.
X Turn the steering wheel until the steering
wheel lock engages.
i If you turn off the engine with the Smart-
Key and then remove it from the ignition lock or open a front door, the automatic
transmission shifts to
Pautomatically.
i The SmartKey can only be removed if the
automatic transmission is in position P. Parking brake
G
WARNING
If you must brake the vehicle with the parking brake, the braking distance is considerably
longer and the wheels could lock. There is an
increased danger of skidding and accidents.
Only use the parking brake to brake the vehi- cle when the service brake is faulty. Do not
apply the parking brake too firmly. If the
wheels lock, release the parking brake until
the wheels begin turning again. G
WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi- cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
R release the parking brake.
R shift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
R start the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle. i
When you apply parking brake
;to brake
the vehicle, the brake lamps do not light up. Parking
151Driving and parking Z

helps avoid overheating and excessive
wear of the brakes.
When you take advantage of the engine
braking effect, a drive wheel may not turn
for some time, e.g. on a slippery road sur-
face. This could cause damage to the drive train. This type of damage is not covered bythe Mercedes-Benz warranty.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
! Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy load, do not stop the vehicle immediately, but
drive on for a short while. This allows the air- flow to cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads If driving in heavy rain for a prolonged period
of time without braking, there may be a
delayed reaction from the brakes when brak-
ing for the first time. This may also occur after
the vehicle has been washed.
You have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance from the
vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehi-
cle washed, brake firmly while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This will warm up
the brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion. Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads If you drive on salted roads, a layer of salt
residue may form on the brake discs and
brake pads. This can result in a significantly
longer braking distance.
R Brake occasionally to remove any possible
salt residue. Make sure that you do not
endanger other road users when doing so.
R Carefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey.
R Maintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes !
If the brake warning lamp lights up in the
instrument cluster and you hear a warning
tone even though the parking brake has
been released, the brake fluid level may be too low. Observe additional warning mes-
sages in the multifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due tobrake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immedi-
ately. This work should be carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! A function or performance test should
only be carried out on a 2-axle dynamom-
eter. If you are planning to have the vehicle
tested on such a dynamometer, contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center to
obtain further information first. Otherwise,
you could damage the drive train or the
brake system.
! As the ESP ®
system operates automati-
cally, the engine and the ignition must be
switched off (the SmartKey must be in posi-
tion 0or 1in the ignition lock) if the parking
brake is tested on a brake dynamometer
(for a maximum of ten seconds).
Braking applications triggered automati-
cally by ESP ®
may otherwise seriously dam-
age the brake system. 154
Driving tipsDriving and parking

Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
have brake pads/linings installed on your
vehicle which have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which correspond to an equivalent quality standard. Brake
pads/linings which have not been approved
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which are not
of an equivalent quality could affect your vehi-
cle's operating safety.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use brake fluid that has been specially
approved for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz,
or which corresponds to an equivalent quality standard. Brake fluid which has not been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
which is not of an equivalent quality could
affect your vehicle's operating safety.
All checks and maintenance work on the
brake system must be carried out at a quali-
fied specialist workshop.
Have brake pads installed and brake fluid
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If your brake system is subject only to mod-
erate loads, you should test the functionality
of your brakes at regular intervals by pressing
firmly on the brake pedal at high speeds. This improves the grip of the brake pads.
You can find a description of Brake Assist
(BAS) on (Y page 62).
High-performance brake system for
AMG vehicles The high-performance brake system is only
installed on the G 63 AMG and the G 65 AMG.
The high-performance brake system is
designed for heavy loads. This may lead to
noise when braking. This will depend on:
R Speed
R Braking force
R Environmental conditions, such as temper-
ature and humidity
The wear of individual components of the
brake system, such as the brake pads/linings
or brake discs, depends on the individual driv-
ing style and operating conditions. For this reason, it is impossible to state a
mileage that will be valid under all circum-
stances. An aggressive driving style will lead
to high wear. You can obtain further informa-
tion about this from your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after sev-
eral hundred kilometers of driving. Compen-
sate for this by applying greater force to the
brake pedal. Keep this in mind, and adapt
your driving and braking accordingly during
this break-in period.
Excessive heavy braking results in corre-
spondingly high brake wear. Observe the
brake system warning lamp in the instrument
cluster and note any brake status messages
in the multifunction display. For high-per-
formance driving in particular, it is important
to maintain and have the brake system
checked regularly.
Parking brake G
WARNING
If you must brake the vehicle with the parking brake, the braking distance is considerably
longer and the wheels could lock. There is an
increased danger of skidding and accidents.
Only use the parking brake to brake the vehi- cle when the service brake is faulty. Do not
apply the parking brake too firmly. If the
wheels lock, release the parking brake until
the wheels begin turning again.
If you brake the vehicle with the parking
brake, the brake lamps will not light up.
If you drive on wet roads or dirt-covered sur-
faces, road salt and/or dirt could get into the parking brake. Driving tips
155Driving and parking Z

R
Ensure that the wheels are in contact with
the ground at all times.
R Drive with extreme care on unfamiliar off-
road routes where visibility is poor. For
safety reasons, get out of the vehicle first
and survey the off-road route.
R Check the depth of water before fording
rivers and streams.
R When fording, do not stop and do not
switch off the engine.
R Look out for obstacles, such as rocks,
holes, tree stumps and furrows.
R Always keep the doors, rear door, side win-
dows and the sliding sunroof closed while
the vehicle is in motion.
R Switch off cruise control.
R Do not stray from marked routes or paths.
R Adapt your speed to the terrain. The
rougher, steeper or more ruts on the ter-
rain, the slower your speed should be.
R Drive slowly and at an even speed through
the water. Ensure that a bow wave does not form as you drive.
R On sand, drive quickly to overcome the roll-
ing resistance. Otherwise the vehicle's
wheels could become stuck in loose
ground.
R Do not jump with the vehicle as this will
interrupt the vehicle's propulsion.
R Avoid high engine speeds. Drive at appro-
priate engine speeds (maximum
3,000 rpm).
R Do not shift the automatic transmission to
transmission position N.
R Always check the vehicle for damage after
off-road driving.
i Information about retrofitting special all-
terrain tires is available from any qualified
specialist workshop.
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. Checklist before driving off-road !
If the engine oil warning lamp lights up
while the vehicle is in motion, stop the vehi- cle in a safe place as soon as possible.
Check the engine oil level. The engine oil
warning lamp warning must not be ignored.
Continuing the journey while the symbol is
displayed could lead to engine damage.
X Oil level: check the engine oil level and add
oil if necessary.
Only then does the engine receive enough
oil when the vehicle is on a steep incline.
X Tire-changing tool kit: check that the jack
is working and make sure you have the lug
wrench, a robust tow cable and a folding
spade in the vehicle.
X Wheels and tires: check the tire tread
depth and tire pressure.
X Check for damage and remove any foreign
objects, e.g. small stones, from the
wheels/tires.
X Replace any missing valve caps.
X Replace dented or damaged wheels.
X Carry a sound spare wheel.
Checklist after driving off-road Driving over rough terrain places greater
demands on your vehicle than driving on nor-
mal roads. After driving off-road, check the
vehicle. This allows you to detect damage
promptly and reduce the risk of an accident to
yourself and other road users.
X Shift the transfer case to HIGH
RANGE(Y page 186).
X Disengage the differential locks
(Y page 190).
X Clean the headlamps and rear lights and
check for damage.
X Clean the front and rear license plates.
X Clean the wheels and tires with a water jet
and remove any foreign objects. Driving
tips
159Driving an d parking Z

Hilltops
When driving on an uphill gradient, reduce
pressure slightly on the accelerator immedi-
ately before reaching the top of the hill (do not
shift the transmission to position N). Use the
vehicle's own impetus to drive over the top of the hill.
This style of driving prevents:
R the vehicle from lifting off the ground on the
brow of a hill
R loss of traction
R the vehicle from traveling too quickly down
the other side
Driving downhill R
Before tackling steep downhill gradients,
select shift range 1(Ypage 145).
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 mountain-
ous terrain (Y page 161).
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. Oth-erwise, 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 62) enables repeated, brief, pre-
cise 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 acci-
dent 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 dis-
tance 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 accel-
erating 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
1,2or 3in good
time. By doing so, you will make use of the 162
Driving systemsDriving and parking

A
To switch between cruise control and var-
iable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up :
or down ?to beyond the pressure point.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the last speed stored after you have fin- ished overtaking.
Deactivating cruise control :
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 var-
iable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control: X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards B.
or
X Brake. or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM
indicator lamp ;in the cruise control lever
lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if: R you apply the parking brake
R you are driving at less than 20 mph
(30 km/h)
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R you shift the transmission to position N
while driving
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. SPEEDTRONIC
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
! Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, SPEED-
TRONIC can neither reduce the risk of acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. SPEED- TRONIC 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 main-
tain a suitable distance to the vehicle in front. 166
Driving systemsDriving and parking