2016 MERCEDES-BENZ G-Class Owner's Manual

Useful information
i
This Operator's Manual describes all models
and all standard and optional equipment of
your vehicle available at the time of publica-
tion of the Operator's Manual. Country-spe-
cific 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.
iRead the information on qualified specialist
workshops: (Ypage 23).
Notes on breaking-in a new vehicle
Important safety notes
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after several
hundred kilometers of driving. Compensate for
this by applying greater force to the brake pedal.
The first 1000 miles (1500 km)
The more you look after the engine when it is
new, the more satisfied you will be with its per-
formance in the future.
RYou should therefore drive at varying vehicle
and engine speeds for the first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km).
RAvoid heavy loads, e.g. driving at full throttle, during this period.
RChange gear in good time, before the tach-
ometer needle is Ôof the way to the red area
of the tachometer.
RDo not manually shift to a lower gear to brake
the vehicle.
RTry to avoid depressing the accelerator pedal
beyond the point of resistance (kickdown).
ROnly select shift ranges 3,2or 1when driving
slowly, e.g. in mountainous terrain.
After 1,000 miles (1,500 km), you can increase
the engine speed gradually and bring the vehicle
to full speed.
Additional breaking-in notes for AMG vehicles:
RDo not drive faster than 85 mph (140 km/ h)
for the first 1,000 miles (1,500 km).
ROnly allow the engine to reach a maximum
engine speed of 4,500 rpm briefly.
RChange gear in good time.
RAvoid driving off-road before the differential
oil change at 2,000 miles (3,000 km).
RIdeally, for the first 1,000 miles (1,500 km),
drive in program C.
iYou should also observe these breaking-in
notes if the engine or parts of the drive train
on your vehicle have been replaced.
iAlways observe the respective speed limits.
AMG vehicles with self-locking rear
axle differential
Change the oil after a breaking-in period of
2,000 mile s(3,000 km) to improve protection of
the differential. This oil change prolongs the ser-
vice life of the differential. Have the oil change
carried out at a qualified specialist workshop.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for this pur-
pose.
Driving
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell can restrict the pedal travel or obstruct a depressed pedal.
The operating and road safety of the vehicle is
jeopardized. There is a risk of an accident.
Make sure that all objects in the vehicle are
stowed correctly, and that they cannot enter
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 on
top of one another.
GWARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correct usage of the pedals, e.g.:
Rshoes with thick soles
Rshoes with high heels
Rslippers
There is a risk of an accident.
Driving111
Driving and parking
Z

Wear suitable footwear to ensure correct
usage of the pedals.
GWARNING
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.
GWARNING
If the parking brake has not been fully
released when driving, the parking brake can:
Roverheat and cause a fire
Rlose 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 sta-
tionary.
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 other-
wise be significantly shortened. Do not use
the engine's full performance until it has
reached operating temperature.
!AMG vehicles: at low engine oil tempera-
tures below 68 ‡ (+20 †), the maximum
engine speed is restricted in order to protect the engine. To protect the engine and main-
tain smooth engine operation, avoid driving at
full throttle when the engine is cold.
SmartKey positions
gTo remove the SmartKey
1Power supply for some consumers, such as
the windshield wipers
2Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive position
3To 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
(
Ypage 205).
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 steer-
ing is then locked. To unlock, remove the Smart-
Key and reinsert it into the ignition lock.
The steering is locked when you remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock.
XRemove the SmartKey when the engine is
switched off.
The starter battery could otherwise be dis-
charged.
If you cannot turn the SmartKey in the ignition
lock, the starter battery may not be charged
sufficiently.
XCheck the starter battery and charge it if nec-
essary (Ypage 252).
or
XJump-start the vehicle (Ypage 254).
iYou can only remove the SmartKey if:
Rthe SmartKey is in position 0in the ignition
lock.
Rthe automatic transmission selector lever
is in P.
112Driving
Driving and parking

Starting the engine
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There
is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces with-
out sufficient ventilation.
GWARNING
Flammable materials introduced through
environmental influence or by animals can
ignite if in contact with the exhaust system or
parts of the engine that heat up. There is a risk
of fire.
Carry out regular checks to make sure that
there are no flammable foreign materials in
the engine compartment or in the exhaust
system.
!Do not depress the accelerator when start-
ing the engine.
Starting procedure
XShift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion P.
The transmission position display in the mul-
tifunction display shows P.
iFor further information about the automatic
transmission, see (Ypage 118).
iIf you depress the brake when starting the
engine, pedal travel is unusually long and
there is less pedal resistance.
XMake sure that the parking brake is applied.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 3(Ypage 112)
in the ignition lock and release it as soon as
the engine is running.
iYou can also use the touch-start function. To
do this, turn the SmartKey to position 3
(
Ypage 112) and release it immediately. The
engine then starts automatically.
Pulling away
Automatic transmission
GWARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is
a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do not simultaneously accelerate.
!Only shift the automatic transmission to
reverse gear Ror park position Pwhen the
vehicle is stationary. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be damaged.
!Do not depress the accelerator pedal while
depressing the brake pedal. This impairs
engine performance and results in premature
wear on the brake system and drivetrain.
!If a warning tone sounds and the ReleasePark. Brakemessage appears in the multi-
function display, the parking brake is still
applied. Release the parking brake.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XShift the automatic transmission to position D
or R.
iBefore driving off, wait until the gear change
is fully completed.
XRelease the parking brake (Ypage 131).
XRelease the brake pedal.
XCarefully depress the accelerator pedal.
iIt is only possible to shift the automatic
transmission from position Pto a different
position if you depress the brake pedal. Only
then is the selector lever lock released.
iThe vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away. The locking knobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at any
time.
You can also deactivate the automatic locking feature (
Ypage 180).
iUpshifts take place at higher engine speeds
after a cold start. This helps the catalytic con-
Driving113
Driving and parking
Z

verter to reach its operating temperature
more quickly.
Hill start assist
GWARNING
After a short time, hill start assist will no lon-
ger brake your vehicle and it could roll away.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Therefore, quickly move your foot from the
brake pedal to the accelerator pedal. Never
leave the vehicle when it is held by hill start
assist.
Hill start assist helps you when pulling away for-
wards or in reverse on an uphill gradient. It holds
the vehicle for a short time after you have
removed your foot from the brake pedal. This
gives you enough time to move your foot from
the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal and to
depress it before the vehicle begins to roll.
XTake your foot off the brake pedal.
iOnce you have taken your foot off the brake
pedal, the vehicle is held for around one sec-
ond.
XPull away.
Hill start assist will not function if:
Ryou are pulling away on a level road or on a
downhill gradient.
Rthe transmission is in position N.
Rthe parking brake is applied.
RESP®is malfunctioning.
ECO start/stop function
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the engine is switched off automatically and
you exit the vehicle, the engine is restarted
automatically. The vehicle may begin moving.
There is a risk of accident and injury.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the ignition and secure the vehicle against
rolling away.
General notes
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle stops
moving.
The engine starts automatically when the driver
wants to pull away again. The ECO start/stop
function thereby helps you to reduce the fuel
consumption and emissions of your vehicle.
The ECO start/stop function is activated each
time the engine is switched on.
The ECO start/stop function is only available in
drive program C/E.
The system is operational if all conditions for
automatic engine switch-off have been fulfilled
(
Ypage 115) and the èsymbol is shown in
green in the multifunction display.
In addition, the Stop/Start active
message
is shown in the AMG menu in the multifunction
display.
If not all conditions for automatic engine switch-
off are fulfilled (
Ypage 115), the èECO
symbol is shown in yellow in the multifunction
display.
In addition, the Stop/Start inactive
mes-
sage is shown in the AMG menu in the multi-
function display.
If the ECO start/stop function has been man-
ually deactivated (
Ypage 114) or a malfunction
has caused the system to be deactivated, the
è ECO symbol is not displayed.
The Stop/Start active
orStop/Startinactivemessage in the AMG menu in the
multifunction display goes out.
Deactivating/activating the ECO start/
stop function
ECO button
114Driving
Driving and parking

XTo deactivate:in drive program C/E press
button :.
or
XSwitch to drive program Sor M(Ypage 122).
Indicator lamp ;on button :and the è
ECO symbol in the multifunction display go
out.
The Stop/Start active
orStop/Startinactivemessage in the AMG menu in the
multifunction display goes out.
XTo activate: press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. If drive program S
or Mis active, the automatic transmission
switches to drive program C/E .
If all conditions for automatic engine switch-
off (
Ypage 115) are fulfilled, the èECO
symbol is shown in green in the multifunction
display. In addition, the Stop/Start active
message is shown in the AMG menu in the
multifunction display.
If not all conditions for automatic engine
switch-off (
Ypage 115)are fulfilled, the è
ECO symbol is not shown. If this is the case,
the ECO start/stop function is not available.
In addition, the Stop/Start inactive
dis-
play message is shown in the AMG menu in
the multifunction display.
iIf indicator lamp ;is off, the ECO start/
stop function has been deactivated manually
or as the result of a malfunction. The engine
will then not be switched off automatically
when the vehicle stops.
Automatic engine switch-off
If the vehicle is braked to a standstill in Dor N,
the ECO start/stop function switches off the
engine automatically.
The ECO start/stop function is operational and
the è ECO symbol is shown in green in the
multifunction display, if:
Rthe indicator lamp in the èECO button is
lit green.
Rno off-road program has been selected.
Rthe vehicle is stationary.
Rthe outside temperature is within the comfort
range.
Rthe engine is at normal operating tempera-
ture.
Rthe set temperature for the vehicle interior
has been reached.
Rthe battery is sufficiently charged.
Rthe system detects that the windshield is not
fogged up when the air-conditioning system is switched on.
Rthe hood is closed.
Rthe driver's door is closed and the driver's
seat belt is fastened.
If the conditions for automatic engine switch-off
are not all fulfilled, the èECO symbol is
shown in yellow.
In addition, the Stop/Start inactive
mes-
sage is shown in the AMG menu in the multi-
function display.
iIf you shift the transmission from Rto D, the
ECO start/stop function is available again
once the èECO symbol reappears in
green in the multifunction display.
iThe engine can be automatically switched
off an unlimited number of times.
iYou can still activate the HOLD function
when the vehicle is stationary, even if the
engine has been switched off automatically. It
is then not necessary to continue applying the
brakes during the automatic stop phase.
When you depress the accelerator pedal, the
engine starts automatically and the braking
effect of the HOLD function is deactivated.
Depress the accelerator pedal carefully, as
the engine must be started first.
iDuring automatic engine switch-off, the cli-
mate control system only operates at a
reduced capacity. If you require full climate
control capacity, the ECO start/stop function
can be deactivated by pressing the ECO but-
ton (
Ypage 114).
Driving115
Driving and parking
Z

Automa tic engine start
The engin estart sautomatically if:
RIn general :
-you switch off th eECO start/sto pfunction
by pressing th eECO butto n
-you release th ebrakes when in transmis -
sion position Dor Nand when th eHOLD
function is no tactive .
RBy thedriver :
-you release th ebrakes when in transmis -
sion position Dor N
-you depress th eaccelerato rpedal
-you engage revers egear R
-you mov eth etransmission out of position
P
-you switch to drive program Sor M
-you unfasten your seat belt or open th e
driver's door
RBy th esystem:
-th evehicl estart sto rol l
-thebrak esystem require sthis
-th etemperature in th evehicl einterior devi-
ate sfrom th eset range
-th esystem detects moisture on th ewind-
shield when th eair-conditioning system is
switched on
-th ebattery's condition of charge is to olow
iShifting th etransmission to position Pdoes
no tstart th eengine.
116Driving
Driving and parking

Problems with the engine
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The engine does not
start. The starter motor
can be heard.RThere is a malfunction in the engine electronics.
RThere is a malfunction in the fuel supply.
XTurn the SmartKey back to position0in the ignition lock before
attempting to start the engine again.
XTry to start the engine again (Ypage 113). Avoid excessively long
and frequent attempts to start the engine, as this (Ypage 112) will
drain the battery.
If the engine does not start after several attempts:
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The engine does not
start. The starter motor
can be heard. The yellow
reserve fuel warning
lamp is lit and the needle
of the fuel gage display
shows 0.The fuel tank is empty.
XRefuel the vehicle.
The engine does not
start. You cannot hear
the starter motor.The on-board voltage is too low because the battery is too weak or
discharged.
XJump-start the vehicle (Ypage 254).
If the engine does not start despite attempts to jump-start it:
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The starter motor was exposed to a thermal load that was too high.
XAllow the starter motor to cool down for approximately two minutes.
XTry to start the engine again.
If the engine still does not start:
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The engine is not running
smoothly and is misfir-
ing.There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanical
component of the engine management system.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic converter
and damage it.
XHave the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Driving117
Driving and parking
Z

ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The coolant temperature
gage shows a value
above 248 ‡ (120 †). A
display message may
also appear in the multi-
function display and a
warning tone may sound.The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine is no
longer being cooled sufficiently.
XStop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant to
cool down.
XCheck the coolant level (Ypage 238). Observe the warning notes
as you do so and add coolant if necessary.
If the coolant level is correct, the radiator fan may be faulty. The cool-
ant is too hot and the engine is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
XAt coolant temperatures below 248 ‡(120 †), drive to the nearest
qualified specialist workshop.
XAvoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving in moun-
tainous terrain and stop-and-go traffic.
Adjustable damping
General notes
With the adjustable damping you can choose
between two different suspension settings.
Suspension settings
COMFComfortable suspension setting
SportSports suspension setting
Selecting the suspension setting
Program selector button in the center console
iIf you select the sports suspension setting,
the vehicle will dampen more roughly.
XPress SPORT on program selector button :.
The indicator lamp lights up. SPORTis shown
in the multifunction display. The sports sus-
pension setting is selected.
iIf you select the comfortable suspension
setting, the vehicle will dampen more
smoothly.
XPress COMF on program selector button :.
The indicator lamp lights up. COMFis shown
in the multifunction display. The comfortable
suspension setting is selected.
Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is
a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do not simultaneously accelerate.
GWARNING
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.
118Automatic transmission
Driving and parking