2016 MERCEDES-BENZ G-Class ESP

Warning and indicator lamps
FunctionPage
:LLow-beam headlamps84
;TParking lamps, license
plate and instrument cluster
lighting
84
=÷ ESP®207
?KHigh-beam headlamps88
AElectric parking brake (yel-
low)131
FUSA only
!Canada only
B!Electric parking brake
(red)131
CJ Brakes (yellow)205
D·Distance warning212
E#! Turn signals88
FunctionPage
FhTire pressure monitor213
G6Restraint system34
HüSeat belt204
I?Coolant210
JRRear fog lamp86
K;Check Engine210
L8 Reserve fuel210
MåESP®OFF207
N!ABS206
OBrakes (red)
$(USA only)
J(Canada only)205
28Instrument cluster
At a glance

Center console
Center console, upper section
FunctionPage
:COMAND (see separate
operating instructions)~
;cSeat heating76
=sSeat ventilation77
?cPARKTRONIC158
AèECO start/stop func-
tion114
FunctionPage
B£ Hazard warning lamps89
C45PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp35
DåESP®57
30Center console
At a glance

Front air bags
Driver's air bag:deploys in fron tof th esteer -
ing wheel. Front-passenger fron tair bag ;
deploys in fron tof and abov eth eglov ebox .
When deployed, th efron tair bags offer addi-
tional head and thorax protection for th eoccu-
pants in th efron tseats.
A permanentl ylit PASSENGER AI RBA GOF F
indicator lamp inform syou that th efront-
passenger fron tair bag is deactivated
(
Ypage 35) .
The front-passenger fron tair bag will only
deplo yif:
Ran occupant is detected on th efront-
passenger seat
Rth ePASSENGER AI RBA GOF Findicator lamp
is no tlit (Ypage 50)
Rtherestrain tsystem control unit predicts a
high acciden tseverit y
Side impact air bags
GWARNIN G
Unsuitable seat cover scould restrict or eve n
preven tth edeploymen tof th eair bags inte-
grated int oth eseats. Consequently, th eair
bags canno tprotect vehicl eoccupant sas
they are designed to do. In addition ,th efunc-
tion sof BabySmart ™may be impaired .This
poses an increased ris kof injury or eve nfatal
injury.
You should only use seat cover sthat have
been approve dfor th erespective seat by
Mercedes-Benz.
Sid eimpac tair bags :deplo ynext to th eouter
bolste rof th eseat backrest .
When deployed, th eside impac tair bag offers
additional thorax protection .However, it does
no tprotect the:
Rhead
Rneck
Rarm s
In th eevent of aside impact, th eside impac tair
bag is deployed on th eside on whic hth eimpac t
occurs.
Pelvis air bags
GWARNIN G
Unsuitable seat cover scould restrict or eve n
preven tth edeploymen tof th eair bags inte-
grated int oth eseats. Consequently, th eair
bags canno tprotect vehicl eoccupant sas
they are designed to do. In addition ,th efunc-
tion sof BabySmart ™may be impaired .This
poses an increased ris kof injury or eve nfatal
injury.
You should only use seat cover sthat have
been approve dfor th erespective seat by
Mercedes-Benz.
42Occupant safety
Safety

Pelvis air bags:deploy below next to the outer
seat cushions.
When activated, the pelvis air bag enhances the
level of protection of the vehicle occupants on
the side of the vehicle on which the impact
occurs.
The pelvis air bag is deployed on the side of the
impact.
Window curtain air bags
Window curtain air bags :are integrated into
the side of the roof frame and deployed in the
area from the A-pillar to the C-pillar.
When deployed, the window curtain air bag
enhances the level of protection for the head.
However, it does not protect the chest or arms.
In the event of a side impact, the window curtain
air bag is deployed on the side on which the
impact occurs.
If the system determines that they can offer
additional protection to that provided by the
seat belt, a window curtain air bag may be
deployed in other accident situations
(
Ypage 43).
Deployment of Emergency Tensioning
Devices and air bags
Important safety notes
GWARNING
The air bag parts are hot after an air bag has
been deployed. There is a risk of injury.
Do not touch the air bag parts. Have a
deployed air bag replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop as soon as possible.
GWARNING
A deployed air bag no longer offers any pro-
tection and cannot provide the intended pro-
tection in an accident. There is an increased
risk of injury.
Have the vehicle towed to a qualified special-
ist workshop in order to have a deployed air
bag replaced.
It is important for your safety and that of your
passenger to have deployed air bags replaced
and to have any malfunctioning air bags
repaired. This will help to make sure the air bags
continue to perform their protective function for
the vehicle occupants in the event of a crash.
GWARNING
Pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning Devices
that have been deployed are no longer opera-
tional and are unable to perform their inten-
ded protective function. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Therefore, have pyrotechnic Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices which have been triggered
immediately replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If Emergency Tensioning Devices are triggered
or air bags are deployed, you will hear a bang,
and a small amount of powder may also be
released. The 6restraint system warning
lamp lights up.
Only in rare cases will the bang affect your hear-
ing. The powder that is released generally does
not constitute a health hazard, but it may cause short-term breathing difficulties in people with
asthma or other respiratory problems. To avoid
this, you may wish to get out of the vehicle or
open the windows as soon as it is safe to do so.
Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning
Devices (ETDs) 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 .
Occupant safety43
Safety
Z

Method of operation
During the first stage of a collision, the restraint
system control unit evaluates important physi-
cal data relating to vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration, such as:
Rduration
Rdirection
Rintensity
Based on the evaluation of this data, the
restraint system control unit triggers the Emer-
gency Tensioning Devices during a frontal or
rear collision.
An Emergency Tensioning Device can only be
triggered, if:
Rthe ignition is switched on
Rthe components of the restraint system are
operational; see "Restraint system warning
lamp" (
Ypage 35)
Rthe belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
the respective front-passenger seat
The Emergency Tensioning Devices in the rear
compartment are triggered independently of the
lock status of the seat belts.
If the restraint system control unit detects a
more severe accident, further components of
the restraint system are activated independ-
ently of each other in certain frontal collision
situations:
RDriver's air bag
RFront-passenger front air bag
The front-passenger front air bag is activated or
deactivated depending on the person on the
front-passenger seat. The front-passenger front
air bag can only deploy in an accident if the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is off.
Observe the information on the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp (
Ypage 35).
Your vehicle has a two-stage driver's air bag.
During the first deployment stage the driver's air
bag fills with sufficient propellant gas to reduce
the risk of injuries. The front air bag is fully
deployed with the maximum amount of propel-
lant gas if a second deployment threshold is
reached within a few milliseconds.
The activation threshold of the Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices and the air bag are determined
by evaluating the rate of vehicle deceleration or
acceleration which occurs at various points in
the vehicle. This process i

s pre-emptive in
nature. Deployment should take place in good
time at the start of the collision. The rate of vehicle deceleration or acceleration
and the direction of the force are essentially
determined by:
Rthe distribution of forces during the collision
Rthe collision angle
Rthe deformation characteristics of the vehicle
Rthe characteristics of the object with which
the vehicle has collided
Factors which can only be seen and measured
after a collision has occurred do not play a deci-
sive role in the deployment of an air bag. Nor do
they provide an indication of air bag deploy-
ment.
The vehicle can be deformed considerably, with-
out an air bag being deployed. This is the case if
only parts which are relatively easily deformed
are affected and the rate of deceleration is not
high. Conversely, air bags may be deployed even
though the vehicle suffers only minor deforma-
tion. This is the case if, for example, very rigid
vehicle parts such as longitudinal body mem-
bers are hit, and sufficient deceleration occurs
as a result.
If the restraint system control unit detects a side impact or if the vehicle rolls over, the applicable
components of the restraint system are activa-
ted independently of each other depending on
the apparent type of accident.
RSide impact air bag and pelvis air bag on the
side of impact, independently of the Emer-
gency Tensioning Device and the use of the
seat belt
The side impact air bag on the front-
passenger side deploys under the following
conditions:
-BabySmart™ detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied or
-the belt tongue is engaged in the belt
buckle of the front-passenger seat
RWindow curtain air bag on the side of impact,
independently of the use of the seat belt and
independently of whether the front-
passenger seat is occupied
REmergency Tensioning Devices, if the system determines that deployment can offer addi-
tional protection in this situation
RWindow curtain air bags on the driver's and
front-passenger side in certain situations
when the vehicle rolls over, if the system
determines that deployment can offer addi-
tional protection to that provided by the seat
belt
44Occupant safety
Safety

iNot all air bags are deployed in an accident.
The different air bag systems work independ-
ently of each other.
How the air bag system works is determined
by the severity of the accident detected,
especially the vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration and the apparent type of accident:
Rfrontal collision
Rside impact
Rrollover
NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-
PRO luxury head restraints
Important safety notes
GWARNING
The function of the head restraint may be
impaired if you:
Rattach objects such as coat hangers to the
head restraints, for example
Ruse head restraint covers
If you do so, the head restraints cannot fulfill
their intended protective function in the event of an accident. In addition, objects attached
to the head restraints could endanger other
vehicle occupants. There is an increased risk
of injury.
Do not attach any objects to the head
restraints and do not use head restraint cov-
ers.
Method of operation
NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO luxury
head restraints offer additional protection
against head and neck injuries. In the event of a
rear collision of a certain severity, the NECK-
PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head
restraints on the driver's and front-passenger
seats are moved forwards and upwards. This
provides better head support.
If the NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO
luxury head restraints have been triggered in an
accident, reset the NECK-PRO head restraints/
NECK-PRO luxury head restraints on the driver's
seat and the front-passenger seat
(
Ypage 45). Otherwise, the additional protec-
tion will not be available in the event of another rear-end collision. You can see that a NECK-PRO
head restraint/NECK-PRO luxury head restraint
has been triggered if it is tilted forward and can
no longer be adjusted.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have the
functionality of the NECK-PRO head restraints/
NECK-PRO luxury head restraints checked at a
qualified specialist workshop after a rear-end
collision.
Resetting a triggered NECK-PRO head
restraint/NECK-PRO luxury head
restraint
NECK-PRO head restraints
Do not insert your finger between the cushion of
the head restraint and the cover. Pay particular
attention while resetting the NECK-PRO head
restraints.
XTilt the top of the NECK-PRO head restraint
cushion forwards in the direction of arrow :.
XPush the NECK-PRO head restraint cushion
down as far as it will go in the direction of
arrow;.
XWith your hand flat, firmly push the NECK-
PRO head restraint cushion backwards in the
direction of arrow =until it engages.
XRepeat this procedure for the second NECK-
PRO head restraint.
iResetting the NECK-PRO head restraints
requires a lot of strength. If you have difficulty
resetting the NECK-PRO head restraints, have
this work carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Occupant safety45
Safety
Z

XTension Top Tether belt=. Always comply
with the child restraint system manufactur-
er's installation instructions when doing so.
XMove head restraint back down again slightly if necessary (Ypage 75). Make sure that
you do not interfere with the correct routing of
Top Tether belt =.
BabySmart™ air bag deactivation sys-
tem
The BabySmart™ air bag deactivation system's
sensor system in the front-passenger seat
detects whether a special Mercedes-Benz child
restraint system with a transponder for the
BabySmart™ air bag deactivation system has
been installed. In this case, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp lights up and remains
lit. The front-passenger front air bag is deacti-
vated.
When the SmartKey is removed from the ignition
lock or is in position 0, the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp is not lit.
iIf the front-passenger front air bag is deac-
tivated by the BabySmart™ air bag deactiva-
tion system, the following remain enabled on
the front-passenger side:
Rthe side impact air bag
Rthe pelvis air bag
Rthe window curtain air bag
Rthe Emergency Tensioning Device
GWARNING
If you secure a child in a child restraint system on the front-passenger seat and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is
off, the front-passenger front air bag can
deploy in the event of an accident. The child
could be struck by the air bag. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Make sure that the front-passenger front air
bag has been disabled. The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp must be lit.
GWARNING
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, the front-passenger front air bag is
deactivated. It will not be deployed in the
event of an accident and cannot perform its
intended protective function. A person in the
front-passenger seat could then, for example, come into contact with the vehicle's interior,
especially if the person is sitting too close to
the dashboard. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
In this case the front-passenger seat may not
be used. You may only transport a child on the
front-passenger seat if they are seated in a
suitable rearward or forward-facing child
restraint system. Always observe the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation
instructions.
GWARNING
If you secure a child in a forward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat
and you position the front-passenger seat too close to the dashboard, in the event of an
accident, the child could:
Rcome into contact with the vehicle's inte-
rior if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp is lit, for example
Rbe struck by the air bag if the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is off
This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Move the front-passenger seat as far back as
possible. Always make sure that the shoulder belt strap is correctly routed from the vehicle
belt sash guide to the shoulder belt guide on
the child restraint system. The shoulder belt
strap must be routed forwards and down-
wards from the belt sash guide. If necessary,
adjust the belt sash guide and the front-
passenger seat accordingly. Always observe
the information about suitable positioning of
the child restraint system in this Operator's
Manual as well as the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation instructions.
50Children in the vehicle
Safety

Pets in the vehicle
GWARNING
If you leave animals unattended or unsecured
in the vehicle, they could press buttons or
switches, for example.
As a result, they could:
Ractivate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
Ractivate or deactivate systems, thereby
endangering other road users
Unsecured animals could also be flung around
the vehicle in the event of an accident or sud-
den steering or braking, thereby injuring vehi-
cle occupants. There is a risk of an accident
and injury.
Never leave animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Always secure animals properly during
the journey, e.g. use a suitable animal trans-
port box.
Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
RABS (Anti-lock BrakingSystem)
(Ypage 55)
RBAS ( Brake Assist System) (Ypage 56)
RAdaptive brake lights (Ypage 56)
RESP®(Electronic StabilityProgram)
(Ypage 57)
REBD ( Electronic Brake force Distribution)
(Ypage 58)
RADAPTIVE BRAKE (Ypage 59)
RTrailer stabilization
Important safety notes
GWARNING
The ABS, the BAS, and the ESP
®switch off
when the differential locks are switched on.
When the ABS, the BAS, and the ESP
®are
switched off
Rwheels may lock during hard braking
Rsteering capabilities are reduced
Rbraking distance is increased
Rvehicle stability in standard driving maneu-
vers is increased
Make sure the differential locks are switched on at all times except when driving off-road for
example. Switch on the differential locks
immediately when returning from off-road
driving.
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you are
inattentive, the driving safety systems can nei-
ther reduce the risk of an accident nor override the laws of physics. Driving safety systems are
merely aids designed to assist driving. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed and for braking in good
time. Always adapt your driving style to suit the
prevailing road and weather conditions and
maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in
front. Drive carefully.
iPlease note that the driving safety systems
described only work as effectively as possible
if there is adequate contact between the tires
and the road surface. Pay particular attention
to the information regarding tires, recommen-
ded minimum tire tread depths etc. in the
"Wheels and tires" section (
Ypage 262).
In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tires (M+S tires) and if necessary, snow
chains. Only in this way will the driving safety
systems described in this section work as
effectively as possible.
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 55).
Driving safety systems55
Safety
Z