2016 MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS SUV brakes

Shifting to drive position D
X
Make sure that the vehicle is stationary.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Push the selector lever back past the first
point of resistance.
The automatic transmission shifts into D.
If the vehicle is braked to astandstill in trans-
mission position D,the ECO start/stop function
switches off the engine automatically
(Y page 97). Transmission positions
B Park
This safeguards the vehicle against
rolling away when stopped.
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion Pwhen the vehicle is stationary
(Y page 101). The parking lock
should not be used as abrake when
parking. Always apply the parking
brake in addition to the parking lock
in order to secure the vehicle.
The key can only be removed if the
transmission is in position P.When
there is no key in the ignition lock, the selector lever is locked in position P.C Rev
erse gear
Only shift the transmission into posi- tion Rwhe nthe vehicle is stationary. A
!
Coasting in neutral
imay
caus edamage to the drive train.
Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to N
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allow you to
move the vehicle freely, e.g. to push
it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty and
the vehicle is in danger of skidding
e.g. on icy roads: shift the transmis-
sion to position N.
If you engage the transfer case, shift briefly into N(Ypage 124). 7 Drive
The automatic transmission changes
gea rautomatically. Al lforward gears
are available. Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts throug hthe
individua lgear sautomaticall ywhen it is in trans-
mission position D.Gearshiftin gisdetermined
by:
R as hiftrange restriction ,ifselected
R thep ositio nofthetransfer cas e(HIGH
RANGE orLOW RANGE)
R thep ositio noftheaccelerato rpedal
R ther oad speed Drivin
gtips
Accelerator pedal position Your drivi
ngstyle influences how the automatic
transmission shift sgear:
R little throttle: early upshifts
R more throttle: late upshifts Automatic transmission
103Driving and parking Z

X
To apply: pull parking brake lever ;up
firmly.
Whe nthe ignition is switched on, the red J
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
X To release: pull parking brake lever ;
slightly.
X Press release button :and guid eparking
brake ;down to the stop.
The J indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goe sout.
The vehicl ecan also be braked during an emer-
genc ybyu sing the parking brake.
X To brake in an emergency: press and hold
release button :and carefull ypullp arking
brake lever ;upwards.
If yo udrive on we troads or dirt-covered surfa-
ces, roa dsalta nd/or dirt could get into the
parking brake.
In order to prevent corrosion and areduction in
the braking powe rofthe parking brake, observe
the following:
R pull the parking brake upwards with release
button :depresse dfrom time to time before
beginning ajourney
R drive for approximatel y100 ma tamaximum
speed of 20 km/h Parkin
gupthe vehicle
If you leave the vehicle parked up for longer than
four weeks, the battery may be damaged by
exhaustive discharging.
If you leave the vehicle parked up for longer than
six weeks, it may suffer from lack of use.
X Contact aqualified specialist workshop and
seek advice.
i You can obtain information on trickle charg-
ers from aqualified specialist workshop. Driving tips
General drivin
gtips
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available wit
hlimitations, or not at all. This could affect,
for example, th epower steerin gand th ebrake
boosting effect .You will requir econsiderably
mor eeffort to steer and brake. Ther eisarisk
of an accident.
Do not switch off th eignitio nwhile driving.
Drive sensibly –savef uel Observe the following tips to save fuel:
X The tyre sshould always be inflated to the rec-
ommended tyre pressure.
X Remove unnecessary loads.
X Remove roof carriers when they are not nee-
ded.
X Warm up the engine at low engine speeds.
X Avoid frequent acceleration or braking.
X Have all service and maintenance work car-
ried out at the specified intervals.
Fuel consumption also increases when driving in
cold weather, in stop-start traffic, on short jour- neys and in hilly terrain. Short journeys
! Vehicles with
adiesel particle filter: if the
vehicle is mostly driven for short distances, it
is possible that malfunction smay occur dur-
ing the automatic cleaning of the diesel par-
ticle filter. This may lead to fuel collecting in
the engine oil and cause engine failure. There- fore, if you frequently drive short distances,
you should take a20minute trip on amotor-
way or rural road at least every 500km. Brakes
Imp ortant safety notes G
WARNING
If you shift dow nonaslippery road surface in
an attempt to increas ethe engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels coul dlose their grip.
This increases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift downf or additionalengine brak-
ing on aslippery road surface. Drivingt
ips
115Driving an dparking Z

G
WARNING
If you select the LOW RANGE off-road gearon as lippery road surface, the wheels coul dlose
traction:
R if you release the accelerator peda lwhen
the vehicl eisinmotion
R if Off-road ABS intervenes when braking
If the wheels lose traction, it willnol onger be
possible to steer the vehicle. This increases
the risk of skidding and having an accident.
Never select the LOW RANGE off-road gear
when driving on slippery road surfaces.
Information on the parking brake (Y page114).
Downhill gradients Shift to
alower gearing oodt ime on long and
stee pdownhil lgradients.
Take particula rnote of this when driving alad en
vehicl eand when towing atrailer.
Thi sw illu se the braking effect of the engine, so
less braking will be required to maintai nthe
vehicl espeed. Thi srelieves the load on the
brake system and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly.
Heav yand light loads G
WARNING
The braking system can overheat if you leave you rfoot on the brake peda lwhile driving.
This increases the braking distance and could
even caus ethe braking system to fail .There is
ar isk of an accident.
Never use the brake peda lasafootrest. Do
not simultaneously depress both the brake
peda land the accelerator peda lwhile driving.
! Depressing the brake peda
lconstantly
results in excessive and premature wearto
the brake pads.
If heavy demands are made on the brakes ,do
not park the vehicl eimmediately. Drive on for a
short while. This allows the airflow to cool the
brakes more quickly.
If the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionall ytest their effectiveness.
To do this, brake more firmly from ahigher speed while paying attention to the traffic con-
ditions .This improves the grip of the brakes.
Wet road surfaces If driving in heavy rain for
aprolonge dperiod of
time withou tbraking, there may be adelayed
reaction from the brakes when braking for the
first time. This may also occur after the vehicle
has been washed.
You have to depres sthe brake pedalm ore
firmly .Maintai nagreater distance from the
vehicle in front.
After driving on awet road or having the vehicle
washed, brake firmly whilep aying attention to
the traffic conditions. This willw arm up the
brake discs, thereby drying them more quickly
and protecting them against corrosion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads If you drive on salt-treated roads,
alayer of salt
may form on the brake discs and pads.T his can
increase the braking distance considerably.
R In order to prevent any salt build-up,a pplythe
brakes occasionally whilep aying attention to
the traffic conditions.
R Carefullyd epressthe brake pedalatt he end
of the journey and when starting the next
journey.
R Maintai namuch greater distance to the vehi-
cle in front.
New brake discs and brake pads/
linings Brake pads/linings and discs that either are new
or have been replaced achieve optimum braking
effect only after several hundred kilometres of
driving. Compensate for the reduced braking
effect by applying greater force to the brake
pedal.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends only fittingt he following brake discs and
brake pads/linings:
R brake discs that hav ebeena pproved by
Mercedes-Benz
R brake pads/linings that hav ebeena pproved
by Mercedes-Benz or that are of an equivalent
standard of quality
Other brake discs or brake pads/linings can
compromise the safety of your vehicle. 116
Drivin
gtipsDriving and parking

Alway
sreplace al lbrake discs and brake pads/
lining sonana xleatt he same time .Alway sfit
new brake pads/lining swhenr eplacing brake
discs.
The vehicl eisequippe dwithl ightweight brake
discs to which the whee lassembl ywithr im and
threaded connectio nism atched.
The us eofbrake discs othe rtha nt hose
approved by Mercedes-Benz ma yalter track
width and is subject to approval, if applicable.
Whe nhandling the brake discs, shock-type
load ssuchast hoseexperience dwhenc hanging
wheels ,can lead to areduction in comfort when
driving with lightweight brake discs. Avoid
shock-typ eloads on the lightweight brake discs,
particularly on the brake plate. Driving on slippe
rysurfaces
! Where possible, avoid spinnin
gthe drive
wheels when pulling away on slipper yroads.
You could otherwise damage th edrive train.
Thi stypeofd amage is no tcovered by the
term soft heMercedes-Ben zwarranty.
X Engage th edifferential locks if necessary
(Y page 126). Drivin
gonw et roads
Aquaplaning If wate
rhas accumulated to acertain depth on
the road surface, there is adanger of aquaplan-
ing occurring, even if:
R you are driving at low speeds
R the tyres have adequate tread depth
For this reason, drive in the following manner in the event of heavy rain or in conditions in which
aquaplaning can occur:
R lowery ours peed
R avoid tyre ruts
R avoid sudden steering movements
R brake carefully
Drivin gonflooded roads !
Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in front
or in the opposite direction create waves. This may cause the maximum permissibl ewater
depth to be exceeded. These notes must be observed under all cir-
cumstances. You could otherwise damage
the engine, the electronics or the transmis-
sion.
If you must drive on stretches of road on which
water has collected, please bear in mind that:
R in the case of standing water, the water level
must be no higher than the lower edge of the
vehicle body
R you should drive no faster than walking pace
Off-road fording !
Under no circumstances should you accel-
erate before entering the water. The bow
wave could cause water to enter and damage
the engine and neighbouring assemblies.
! Do not open any of the vehicle's doors while
fording. Otherwise, water could get into the
vehicle interior and damage the vehicle's
electronics and interior equipment.
i You may only drive through fresh water.
R Observe the safety notes (Y page 119) and
general notes (Y page 119) on driving off-
road
R Establish how deep the water is and the char-
acteristics of the body of water before fording
R Switch off automatic climate control
R Vehicles with auxiliary heating/ventila-
tion: switch the auxiliary heating/ventilation
off
R Shift the transfer case to the LOW RANGE
off-road driving position (Y page 124)
R Engage the differential locks if necessary
(Y page 119)
R Avoid high engine speeds
R Enter and exit the water at aflat place and at
as teady walking pace
R Drive slowly and at aconstant speed through
the water
R Ensure that abow wave does not form as you
drive
R Do not stop and do not switch off the engine.
Water offers ahigh degree of resistance, the
ground is slippery and, in some cases, unsta- ble. Therefore, it is difficult and dangerous to pull awayinw ater
R Cleana ny mud from the tyre tread after ford-
ing
R Apply the brakes to dry them after fording Driving tips
117Driving and parking Z

Off-road driving
Important safet ynotes G
WARNING
If you driv eonas teep incline at an angle or
turn on asteep incline, the vehicl ecoulds lip
sideways, tip and overturn. There is arisk of
an accident.
When driving on an incline, drive into the line of fall (upwards or downward sinastraight
line) and do not turn. G
WARNING
Flammable materia lsuch as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with hot parts of the exhaust system. There is arisk
of fire.
When driving off road or on unpaved roads,
check the vehicle's underside regularly. In
particular, remove parts of plants or other
flammable materials which have become
trapped. In the case of damage, contact a
qualified specialist workshop.
! There is
arisk of damage to the vehicl eif:
R the vehicl ebecome sstuck, e.g. on ahigh
kerb or an unpaved road
R you drive too quickly over an obstacle, e.g.
ak erb, slowing thresholds or apothol ein
the road
R ah eavy object strikes the underbody or
parts of the chassis
In situations like this, the body ,underbody,
chassi sparts, wheels or tyres coul dbedam-
agedw ithout the damage being visible. Com-
ponents damaged in this way can unexpect-
edlyf ail or, in the case of an accident, no lon-
ger withstand the strain they are designed to withstand.
If the underbody panelling is damaged, com-
bustible materials such as leaves, grass or
twigs can gather between the underbody and
the underbody panelling. If these materials
come into contact with hot parts of the
exhaust system, they can catch fire.
In such situations, have the vehicl echecked
and repaired immediatel yataqualified spe-
cialist workshop. If, on continuing yourj our-
ney, you notice that driving safety is impaired, stop the vehicle immediately
,paying atten-
tion to road and traffic conditions. In such
cases, consult aqualified specialist work-
shop.
! If there are steep gradients while driving off-
road, asufficient filling level in the AdBlue ®
tank must be ensured. Make sure for this rea- son that there is aminimum fill level of ten
litres before driving off-road.
When driving off-road, substances such as sand,
mud and water or water mixed with oil may get
into the brakes. This may lead to areduction in
braking performance or total brake failure as a
result of increased wear. The braking charac-
teristics will vary depending on the substances
that get into the brakes. Cleant he brakes after
driving off-road. If you notice grinding noises or ar eduction in braking performance, have the
brake system checked at aqualified specialist
workshop immediately.A dapt your driving style
to the altered braking characteristics.
Driving off-road increases the possibility of dam- age to the vehicle, which may cause assemblies
or systems to fail. Adapt your driving style to the
conditions of the terrain. Drive carefully.H ave
vehicle damage rectified immediately at aquali-
fied specialist workshop.
Do not shift into transmission position Nwhen
driving off-road. You could lose control of the
vehicle if you attempt to brake the vehicle using
the service brake. If the gradient is too steep for your vehicle, back up in reverse gear.
General notes H
Envi
ronmenta lnote
Protection of th eenvironmen tisofprimary
importance. Treat nature with respect.
Observe all prohibiting signs.
Read this sectio nbefore driving your vehicle off-
road. Practis ebydriving over mor egentle off-
road terrain first.
The following driving systems are specially
adapted to off-road driving:
R 4ETS (Y page 54)
R Off-road ABS
R transfer case (Y page 124)
R differential lock s(Ypage 125) Driving tips
119Driving and parking Z

X
Clean th ewheels, wheel arches and th evehi-
cle underside wit hawaterjet;c he ck for any
foreign object sand damage.
X Chec kwhether twigs or other part sofplants
have become trapped. Thes eincreas ethe risk
of fir eand can damag efuel pipes ,brake
hoses or th erubbe rbellows of th eaxle joints
and propeller shafts.
X Afte rthe trip, examin ewithout fail th eentire
undercarriage, wheels, tyres, bodywork struc- ture, brakes, steering ,cha ssis and exhaust
system for damage.
X Afte rdriving in sand, mud, gravel, wate ror
similar dirt yconditions ,have th efollowing
checked and cleaned:
R brak ediscs
R wheels
R brak epads
R axle joints
X If you notic estron gv ibrations after off-road
driving ,che ck for foreign object sinthe
wheel sand driv etrain and ,ifnecessary,
remove them. Foreign object scan disturb the
balance and caus evibrations.
Driving on sand Observ
ethe following rules when driving on
sand:
R shift the transfer case to the LOW RANGEoff-
road driving position (Y page 124).
R avoid high engine speeds.
R Shift the automatic transmission to alow
gear.
R drive quickly to overcome the rolling resist-
ance. Otherwise, the vehicle could dig itself
into the sand.
R drive in the tracks of other vehicles if possible.
When doing so, make sure that:
- the tyre ruts are not too deep
- the sand is firm enough
- your vehicle has sufficient ground clear-
ance
Tyre rutsa nd unpaved roads !
Check that the ruts are not too deep and
that your vehicle has sufficient clearance.
Otherwise, your vehicle could be damaged or bottom out and get stuck. Observe the following rules when driving along
ruts in off-road terrain or on roads with loose
gravel:
R shift the transfer case to the LOW RANGEoff-
road driving position (Y page 124)
R avoid high engine speeds
R observe the safety notes (Y page 119) and the
general notes (Y page 119) on off-road driving
R shift the automatic transmission to alow gear
R drive slowly
R where ruts are too deep, drive with the wheels
on one side on the middle section of turf if
possible
Driving over obstacles !
Obstacles could damage the floor of the
vehicle or componentsoft he chassis. Ask
passengers for guidance when driving over
large obstacles. Any damage to the vehicle
always increases the risk of an accident.
! Drive with particular care when driving over
an obstacle while driving up or down asteep
slope.
The vehicle could otherwise tilt and slide side- waysort ip over.
Observe the following rules when driving over
tree stumps, large stones and other obstacles:
R observe the safety notes (Y page 119) and the
general notes (Y page 119) on off-road driving
R shift the transfer case to the LOW RANGEoff-
road driving position (Y page 124)
R avoid high engine speeds
R shift the automatic transmission to alow gear
R make sure that you have enough ground
clearance before driving across an obstacle
R drive very slowly
R try to drive straight over the centreofo bsta-
cles: front wheel first, then rear wheel Travelling uphill
Approach/departure angle G
WARNING
If you drive on asteep incline at an angle or
turn on asteep incline, the vehicl ecoulds lip
sideways, tip and overturn. There is arisk of
an accident. Drivingt
ips
121Driving an dparking
Z

To avoid hazardous situations:
R make sure to check the noseweight before
each journey
R the noseweight should be as close as possible
to the maximum noseweight
R do not exceed the maximum permissible
noseweight
R the noseweight must not be lower than the
minimum permissible noseweight
Make sure that the following values are not
exceeded:
R the permissible noseweight
R the permissible trailer load
R the permissible rear axle load of the towing
vehicle
R the maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight of both the towing vehicle and the
trailer
When reversin gthe towing vehicle, make sure
there is nobody between the trailer and the vehi- cle.
The applicable permissible values, which must
not be exceeded, can be found:
R in your vehicle documents
R on the type plates for the trailer
R on the vehicle identification plate
If the values differ, the lowest value applies.
You will find the values approved by the manu-
facturer on the identification plates and for the
towing vehicle under "Technical data"
(Y page 256).
When reversin gthe towing vehicle, make sure
there is nobody between the trailer and the vehi- cle.
Couple and uncouple the trailer carefully. If youdo not couple the trailer to the towing vehicle
correctly, the trailer could become detached.
When towing atrailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different from when driv-
ing without atrailer.
The vehicle/trailer combination:
R is heavier
R is restricted in its acceleration and gradient-
climbing capability
R has an increased braking distance
R is affected more by stron gcrosswinds
R demands more sensitiv esteering
R has alarger turnin gcircle This can impair the vehicle's handling charac-
teristics. Adapt your driving style accordingly.
Maintain asafe distance. Drive carefully.
When towing atrailer, alway sadjust your speed
to the current road and weather conditions. Do
not exceed the maximum permissible speed for
your vehicle/trailer combination. Notes on to
wingatrailer
General notes When towing
atrailer, set the tyre pressure on
the rear axle of the towing vehicle for amaxi-
mum load. Further information on the tyre pres-
sure table in the fuel filler flap (Y page 109).
The height of the ball coupling changes with the load of the vehicle. If necessary, use atrailer
with aheight-adjustable drawbar.
You will find permissible trailer loads under
"Technical data" (Y page 256).
Driving tips X
Observe the information on ESP ®
trailer sta-
bilisation (Y page 55).
X On long and steep downhill gradients, select
shift range 1,2or 3(Y page 105) in good time.
X If necessary, shift the transfer case to LOW
RANGE (Ypage 124).
This will use the braking effect of the engine, so less braking will be required to maintain
the vehicle speed. This relieves the load on
the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly. If
you need additional braking, depress the
brake pedal repeatedly rather than continu-
ously.
The maximum permissible speed for vehicle/
trailer combinations depends on the type of
trailer. Before beginnin gthe journey, check the
trailer's documents to see what the maximum
permitted speed is. Observe the maximum per-
missible speed in the relevant country.
For certain Mercedes-Benz vehicles, the maxi-
mum permissibler ear axle load is increased
when towing atrailer. See the "Technical data"
section to find out whether this applies to your
vehicle (Y page 256). In the event of increased
rear axle load, the car/trailer combination may
not exceed amaximum speed of 100 km/h for
reasons concerning the operating permit. This 128
Towing
atrailerDriving and parking

also applies in countries in whic
hthe maximum
permissible spee dfor car/trailer combinations
is greate rtha n1 00 km/h.
When towing atrailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be differen ttowhen driving
without atrailer and th evehicle will consume
mor efuel.
Driving tips R
Maintain agreater distance to the vehicle in
front than when driving without atrailer.
R Avoid braking abruptly. If possible, brake gen-
tly at first to allow the trailer to run on. Then,
increase the braking force rapidly.
R The values given for gradient-climbing capa-
bilities from astandstill refer to sea level.
When driving in mountainous areas, note that
the power output of the engine, and conse-
quently the vehicle's gradient-climbing capa-
bility from astandstill, decrease with increas-
ing altitude.
If the trailer swings from side to side:
X Do not accelerate under any circumstances.
X Do not countersteer.
X Brake, if necessary. Coupling up
atrailer
! Do no
tconnect th etrailer brak esystem (if
th et railer is fitte dwitho ne)d irectly to the
towing vehicle's hydraulic brak esystem,
since this is equipped wit hananti-lock brak-
ing system. Otherwise, neither th ebrakes on
th et ow ing vehicle no rthe brakes on the
trailer will work.
Observ ethe maximum permissible trailer
dimension s(widt hand length).
X Apply th evehicle's parking brake.
X Mak esure that th eautomatic transmission is
in transmission position P.
X Positio nthe trailer on aleve lsurface behind
th ev ehicle.
X Couple up th etrailer.
X Establish th eelectrical connection between
th ev ehicle and th etrailer.
X Chec kthatthe trailer lighting system is work-
ing.
X Push th ecombinatio nswitch upward sand
downwards and check whether th ecorre- sponding tur
nsignal indicator on the trailer is
flashing.
Ac onnected trailer is only detected when the
electrical connection is established correctly
and when the lighting system is working prop-
erly. The function of other systems, such as
ESP ®
also depends on this. Uncoupling
atrailer G
WARNING
If you uncouple atrailer with an engaged over-
run brake, you coul dtrap yourh and between
the vehicl eand the trailer drawbar. This poses
ar isk of injury.
Do not uncouple atrailer with an engaged
overru nbrake.
! Do not disconnect
atrailer with an engaged
overru nbrake. Otherwise, yourv ehiclecould
be damaged by the rebounding of the overrun brake.
X Apply the parking brake.
X Make sure that the automatic transmission is
in transmission position P.
X Secure the vehicl eand trailer against rolling
away.
X Close all doors, including the rear door.
X Remove the trailer cable.
X Uncoupl ethe trailer. Traile
rpower supply
! Yo
uc an connect accessories with amaxi-
mu mp ower consumption of 180 Wtothe
permanent powe rsupply.
Yo um ustn ot charge atrailer battery using the
powe rsupply.
The trailer socket of your vehicl eisequippe dat
the factory with apermanent powe rsupply.
The permanent powe rsuppl yiss upplie dvia
trailer socket pi n9.
Yo uc an find mor einformatio nabout installing
the trailer electrics at aquali fied specialis twork-
shop. Towin
gatrailer
129Driving an dparking Z