2015 MERCEDES-BENZ G-Class warning light

Your vehicle is equipped with a differential
lock each 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.
Information on differential gear system
and differential lock When the vehicle drives around a curve, the
wheels on the outside of the curve must cover
a greater distance. Therefore, the wheels turn
more rapidly than on the inside. The differen- tial, a gear system in the drive train, allows for
differing rotational speeds and facilitates cor-
nering.
The disadvantage of a differential is that the
wheels that have the least grip, get the most
drive. An example: a wheel of a driven axle is
on a snow-covered surface and therefore
does not have any traction. The differential
sends most of the drive force to this wheel
because the force takes the route of the low-
est resistance. The opposite wheel on this
axle, however, which stands on firm ground
and could therefore allow propulsion,
receives no driving power. 4ETS compen-
sates for this disadvantage. 4ETS provides
good steerability by automatically braking the spinning wheel. 4ETS provides the wheel on
the firm surface with more drive force, which
in turn provides propulsion.
ESP® and 4ETS are traction systems that are
ideal for road driving and suitable for light off- road driving. The LOW RANGEoff-road gear
also improves off-road capability.
More challenging off-road conditions require
additional measures such as locking one or
more differential. Your vehicle is equipped
with three differential locks: R
a central differential lock for the transfer
case
R a differential lock for the front axle and
R a differential lock for the rear axle
Each differential lock can be engaged with the corresponding switch on the center console.
If the differential in the transfer case is
locked, the front and rear wheels rotate at the
same speed. If the differential for the rear axle
is locked, both rear wheels rotate at the same speed, regardless of their respective torque.
Note, engaging the differential lock greatly
impairs the vehicle's steerability.
Note, it is imperative to use the differential
function when driving on firm road surfaces.
Under no circumstances should the differen-
tial be locked when driving on firm road sur-
faces. Otherwise, the vehicle may not be
steerable and you could lose control of the
vehicle. Therefore, only engage the differen-
tial lock when driving off-road. You should
only engage the differential lock if activating
4ETS and ESP ®
driving systems and LOW
RANGE off-road gear prove to be insufficient.
Engaging the differential locks 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 surfaces with good grip. G
WARNING
When the differential locks are engaged, ABS, 4ETS, ESP ®
and BAS are deactivated. 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 surfaces with good grip. Off-road driving systems
189Driving and parking Z

!
Only engage 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 center 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)
Engage the differential locks: R off-road
R to deactivate ABS, 4ETS, ESP ®
and BAS
while off-road
R when fording
For further information on driving off-road,
see (Y page 158).
i You can engage 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 186).
X Press switch =.
If the transfer case is in the LOW RANGE
off-road position, the yellow activation indi- cator lamp under switch =lights up. The
å warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
If the differential is locked, the red function indicator lamp above switch =lights up.
In the multifunction display you see the:
ABS not available Differential
ABS not available Differential
Locked Locked message.
The å!÷ warning lamps light up
in the instrument cluster.
The differential lock for the transfer case is
engaged.
4ETS, ESP ®
, BAS and ABS are deactivated.
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 ;.
First, the yellow activation indicator lamp
lights up, followed by the red function indi- cator lamp.
The differential lock for the front axle is
engaged.
Disengaging the differential locks You can disengage the differential locks in the
following order: ;,?,=.
X To simultaneously disengage all differ-
ential locks: press switch=.
Yellow activation indicator lamps Aand
red function indicator lamps :go out. 190
Off-road driving systemsDriving and parking

Displays and operation
Instrument cluster
Instrument cluster: miles
:
Speedometer with segments (Y page 198)
; Multifunction display (Y page 199)
= Tachometer (Y page 198)
? Coolant temperature (Y page 197)
A Fuel gage
B Instrument cluster lighting (Y page 197)Instrument cluster lighting
The brightness control knob is located on the bottom left of the instrument cluster
(Y page 197).
X Turn the brightness control knob clockwise
or counter-clockwise.
If the light switch is set to Ã,Tor
L, the brightness is dependent upon
the brightness of the ambient light.
i The light sensor in the instrument cluster
automatically controls the brightness of
the multifunction display.
In daylight, the displays in the instrument
cluster are not illuminated. Displaying the coolant temperature
G
WARNING
Driving when your engine is overheated can
cause some fluids which may have leaked into the engine compartment to catch fire. You
could be seriously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can cause
serious burns which can occur just by opening
the engine hood. Stay away from the engine if you see or hear steam coming from it.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location away from
other traffic. Turn off the engine, get out of the
vehicle and do not stand near the vehicle until
the engine has cooled down.
! A display message is shown if the coolant
temperature is too high. Displays and ope
ration
197On-board computer and displays Z

Activating/deactivating the interior light-
ing delayed switch-off
If you activate the Interior Lighting
Interior Lighting
Delay Delay function, the interior lighting remains
on for 20 seconds after you remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Sett. Sett.menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Lights
Lights submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press :or9 to select the Inte‐
Inte‐
rior Lighting Delay
rior Lighting Delay function.
When the Interior Lighting Delay
Interior Lighting Delay
function is activated, the vehicle interior is
displayed in red in the multifunction dis-
play.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Vehicle Activating/deactivating the automatic
door locking mechanism
If you activate the Automatic Door Lock
Automatic Door Lock
function, the vehicle is centrally locked above
a speed of approximately 9 mph (15 km/h).
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Sett.
Sett.menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Vehicle
Vehicle submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Automatic Door Lock
Automatic Door Lock function.
When the Automatic
Automatic Door
DoorLock
Lockfunction
is activated, the vehicle doors are displayed
in red in the multifunction display.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
For further information on the automatic lock- ing feature, see (Y page 75).
Activating/deactivating the acoustic
locking verification signal
If you switch on the Acoustic
Acoustic Lock Lockfunction,
an acoustic signal sounds when you lock the
vehicle. X
Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Sett.
Sett. menu.
X Press :or9 to select the Vehicle
Vehicle
submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Acoustic Lock
Acoustic Lock function.
If the Acoustic
Acoustic Lock
Lockfunction is activated,
the & symbol in the multifunction dis-
play lights up red.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Convenience Activating/deactivating the EASY-
ENTRY/EXIT feature
G
WARNING
When the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature adjusts
the steering wheel, you and other vehicle
occupants – particularly children – could
become trapped. There is a risk of injury.
While the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature is mak-
ing adjustments, make sure that no one has
any body parts in the sweep of the steering
wheel.
If somebody becomes trapped:
R press one of the memory function position
buttons, or
R move the switch for steering wheel adjust-
ment in the opposite direction to that in
which the steering wheel is moving.
The adjustment process is stopped.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Sett. Sett.menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Convenience
Convenience submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Easy Entry/Exit
Easy Entry/Exit function.
If the Easy Entry/Exit
Easy Entry/Exit function is activa-
ted, the vehicle steering wheel appears in
red in the multifunction display.
X Press the abutton to save the setting. 208
Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays

Safety systems
Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions !÷
Currently Unavail‐ Currently Unavail‐
able. See Opera‐ able. See Opera‐
tor's Manual tor's Manual ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Pro-
gram), BAS (Brake Assist), the HOLD function, hill start assist and
ESP ®
trailer stabilization are temporarily unavailable.
BAS and the adaptive brake lights may also have failed.
In addition, the ÷,åand! warning lamps light up in the
instrument cluster.
Possible causes are:
R self-diagnosis is not yet complete.
R the on-board voltage may be insufficient.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example.
The steerability and braking characteristics may be severely affec-ted. The braking distance in an emergency braking situation can
increase.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
X Carefully drive a suitable distance, making slight steering move-
ments at a speed above 12 mph (20 km/h).
If the display message disappears, the functions mentioned
above are available again.
If the display message continues to be displayed: X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. !÷
Inoperative. See Inoperative. See
Operator's Manual Operator's Manual ABS, ESP
®
, BAS, the HOLD function, hill start assist and
ESP ®
trailer stabilization are unavailable due to a malfunction.
BAS and the adaptive brake lights may also have failed.
The $ (USA only)/J (Canada only),÷,åand!
warning lamps in the instrument cluster also light up.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example.
The steerability and braking characteristics may be severely affec-ted. The braking distance in an emergency braking situation can
increase. Display messages
213On-board computer and displays Z

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions If ESP
®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop immediately. ÷
Currently Unavail‐ Currently Unavail‐
able. See Opera‐ able. See Opera‐
tor's Manual tor's Manual ESP
®
, BAS, the HOLD function, hill start assist and ESP ®
trailer
stabilization are unavailable due to a malfunction.
BAS and the adaptive brake lights may also have failed.
In addition, the ÷andå warning lamps light up in the
instrument cluster.
The self-diagnosis function might not be complete, for example.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions listed above.
The braking distance in an emergency braking situation can thus
increase.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
X Carefully drive a suitable distance, making slight steering move-
ments at a speed above 12 mph (20 km/h).
If the display message disappears, the functions mentioned
above are available again.
If the display message continues to be displayed:
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. 214
Display
messagesOn-board computer and displays

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions ÷
Inoperative. See Inoperative. See
Operator's Manual Operator's Manual ESP
®
, BAS, the HOLD function, hill start assist and ESP ®
trailer
stabilization are unavailable due to a malfunction.
BAS and the adaptive brake lights may also have failed.
In addition, the ÷andå warning lamps light up in the
instrument cluster.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions listed above.
The braking distance in an emergency braking situation can thus
increase.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. T!
÷
Inoperative. See Inoperative. See
Operator's Manual Operator's Manual EBD (electronic brake force distribution), ABS, ESP
®
, BAS, the
HOLD function, hill start assist and ESP ®
trailer stabilization are
unavailable due to a malfunction.
BAS and the adaptive brake lights may also have failed.
In addition, the ÷,åand! warning lamps light up in the
instrument cluster and a warning tone sounds.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions listed above. The front and rear wheels could therefore
lock if you brake hard, for example.
The steerability and braking characteristics may be severely affec-ted. The braking distance in an emergency braking situation can
increase.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop immediately. F(USA
only)!
(Canada
only)
Release Release Park.
Park.Brake
Brake You are driving with the parking brake applied. A warning tone also
sounds.
X Release the parking brake. Display
messages
215On-board computer and displays Z

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions $(USA
only)J
(Canada
only)
Check Brake Fluid Check Brake Fluid
Level Level There is not enough brake fluid in the brake fluid reservoir. In
addition, the
$(USA only)/J (Canada only) warning lamp
lights up in the instrument cluster and a warning tone sounds.
G WARNING
The braking effect may be impaired.
There is a risk of an accident.
X Pull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying
attention to road and traffic conditions. Do not continue driving
under any circumstances.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 150).
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
X Do not add brake fluid. This does not correct the malfunction. #
Check Brake Pad Check Brake Pad
Wear Wear The brake pads/linings have reached their wear limit.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. G
mbrace Inoperative mbrace Inoperative USA only:
one or more main functions of the mbrace system are
malfunctioning.
Canada only: one or more main functions of the TELE AID system
are malfunctioning.
X USA only: have the mbrace system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
X Canada only: have the Tele AID system checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. 6
SRS Malfunction SRS Malfunction
Service Required Service Required The restraint system is faulty. The
6warning lamp also lights
up in the instrument cluster.
G WARNING
The air bags or Emergency Tensioning Devices may either be trig- gered unintentionally or, in the event of an accident, may not be
triggered.
There is an increased risk of injury.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop.
For further information about the restraint system, see
(Y page 40). 216
Display
messagesOn-board computer and displays