2016 MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS SUV engine overheat

Running-i
nnotes Importan
tsafety notes
In certain driving and driving safet ysystems ,the
sensor sadjust automatically while acertai ndis-
tance is bein gdriven after th evehicl ehas been
delivere dorafter repairs .Full system effective-
ness is no treached until th eend of this teach-in
process.
Brake pads/lining sand disc stha teither are new
or have been replace dachiev eoptimum braking
effec tonlya fter several hundre dkilometres of
driving .Compensat efor th ereduce dbraking
effec tbya pplyin ggreate rforce to th ebrake
pedal. Th
ef irs t1 500km
The mor eyou trea tthe engine with sufficient
car eatt he start, the mor esatisfie dyou will be
with the engine performance later on.
R Driv eatv aryingvehicl espeeds and engine
speeds for the first 1500 km
R Avoi doverstraining the vehicl eduringt his
period, e.g .drivin gatf ullt hrottle
R When shifting gear smanually, shift up in good
time ,befor et he rev counter needl ereaches
Ô of the wa ytothe red area of the rev counter
display
R Do not shift down agearm anuall yino rder to
brake
R Try to avoi ddepressing the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown)
After 1500 km ,you maygradually bring the
vehicl euptof ullr oa da nd engine speeds.
Yo us houl dalsoo bserve these note sonrunning-
in if the engine or parts of the drive train on your vehicl ehaveb eenr eplaced.
Alway sobserve the maximum permissible
speed. Driving
Importan
tsafety notes G
WARNING
Objectsint he driver's footwel lcan impede
peda ltravel or block apeda lwhich is depressed. This jeopardises safe operatio
nof
the vehicle. There is arisk of an accident.
Stow all objects in the vehicle safely, so that
they cannot reach the driver' sfootwell. Make
sure the floormat sand carpet sare properly
secured so that they cannot slip and obstruct the pedals. Do not lay several floormat sor
carpet sontop of one another. G
WARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correct usage of the pedals, e.g.:
R shoe swith thick soles
R shoes with high heels
R slippers
There is arisk of an accident.
Wears uitable footwea rtoensure correct
usage of the pedals. G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignitio nwhile driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all.T his couldaffect,
for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You willr equire considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is arisk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignitio nwhile driving. G
WARNING
If the parking brake has not been fully
released when driving, the parking brake can:
R overheat and caus eafire
R lose its hold function.
There is arisk of fire and an accident. Release
the parking brake full ybefore driving off.
! Warm up the engine quickly. Do not use the
engine's full performance until it has reached operating temperature.
Only set the automatic transmission to the
respective drive positions when the vehicl eis
stationary.
Where possible,a voids pinning the drive
wheels when pulling awayons lippery roads.
Otherwise, you coul ddamage the drive train. Driving
95Drivingand parking 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

Disengaging th
ediffere ntial locks You can disengage the differential lock
sinthe
followin gorder: ;,?, =.
X To simultaneously disengage all differen-
tia
llocks: press switch =.
Yellow activatio nindicator lamps Aand red
function indicator lamps :go out.
After approximately three seconds of normal
driving, ABS, 4ETS, ESP ®
and BA Sare activa-
ted.
The Differential lock sactive ABS
Differential lock sactive ABS
and ESP not available
and ESP not available message disap-
pear sint he multifunction displaya nd the
å!÷warnin glamps in th einstru-
men tcluster go out.
X Shif tthe transfer case to the HIGH RANGE
on-road position (Y page 124).
If red function indicator lamps :do not go out
when disengagin gthe differential locks:
X Observe th etraffic situation.
X Make slight steerin gmovements while the
vehicle is in motion.
Red function indicator lamps :go out when
th ed ifferential lock sare disengaged. Towing
atrailer Importan
tsafety notes G
WARNING
Th eb raking system can overheat if you leave
yourf oot 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. G
WARNING
You coul dlose control of the vehicle/trailer
combination if it begins to swerve .The vehi-
cle/trailer combination coul deven overturn.
There is arisk of an accident.
On no account should you attempt to
straighten out the vehicle/trailer combina-
tion by increasing speed. Decrease your speed and do not countersteer. Brake if nec-
essary.
G
WARNING
If the ballc oupling is not fitted correctly and
the bolts supplied are not tightened to the
specified tightening torque ,the trailer could
come loose. There is arisk of an accident.
Always fit the ballc oupling as described.
Observe the specified tightening torque when fitting the coupling. G
WARNING
If the maximu mpermissible loadf orac arrier
system is exceeded, the carrie rcouldc ome
loos efrom the vehicl eand endange rother
road users. There is arisk of an accident and
injury.
Never exceed the maximu mpermissible load
when using acarrier.
! If you have
atrailer tow hitch retrofitted,
changes to the engine cooling system may be necessary, depending on the vehicl etype.
If you have atrailer tow hitch retrofitted,
observe the anchorage points on the chassis.
Retrofitting atrailer tow hitch is only permissible
if at railer loadiss pecified in yourv ehicledocu-
ments. If this is not the case, then the vehicl eis
not approved for towing atrailer.
For more information, please contact aqualified
specialist workshop.
Exceeding the maximu mpermissible nose-
weight of the trailer drawbar on the ballc oupling
may caus edamage.
Damag emay be caused to the following:
R towing vehicle
R trailer
R ballc oupling
R trailer tow hitch
The vehicle/trailer combination coul dbecome
unstable.
The vehicle/trailer combination coul dalso
become unstable if the noseweight used is lower
than the minimu mpermissible noseweight. Towin
gatrailer
127Driving 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

Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Operating th eintegrated information systems
and communications equipment in the vehicle
while driving willd istract you from traffic con-
ditions. You coul dthen lose control of the
vehicle. There is arisk of an accident.
Only operate these devices if road traffic con-
ditions permit. If you are unsure about the
surrounding conditions, pullo ver toasafe
location and make entries only while the vehi-
cle is stationary.
You must observe the lega lrequirements for the
country in which you are currently driving when operating the on-board computer. G
WARNING
If the instrument cluster has failed or mal-
functioned, you may not recognise function
restrictions relevant to safety .The operating
safety of yourv ehiclemay be impaired .There
is ar isk of an accident.
Drive on carefully.H ave the vehiclechecked
at aq ualified specialist worksho pimmedi-
ately.
If the operating safety of yourv ehicleis
impaired ,park the vehicl esafel yass oon as pos-
sible. Contact aqualified specialist workshop.
! If
ab lackout lighting setting has been selec-
ted, the instrument cluster lighting is
switched off.
The instrument cluster and the display do not show any information.
The on-board computer show sonly display mes-
sage sorw arnings from certain systems on the
multifunction display.Y ou should therefore
make sure yourv ehicleiso perating safel yatall
times.
For an overview, see the instrument cluster illus-
tration (Y page26). Displays and operation
Instrument cluste
rlighting
The brightness control knob is locate donthe
botto mleftoft heinstrumen tcluster
(Y page 26).
X Turn th ebrightness control knob clockwise or
anti-clockwise.
i The ligh
tsensor on th einstrumen tcluster
automatically control sthe brightness of the
multifunction display.
In daylight, th edisplays in th einstrument
cluste rare no tlit. Re
vc ounter
! Do not drive in the overrevving range. Doing
so will damag ethe engine.
The red band in the rev counter indicates the
engine's overrevving range.
The fue lsuppl yisi nterrupted to protect the
engine when the red band is reached. Outside temperature display
You should pay specia lattention to road condi-
tion swhen temperatures are around freezing
point.
Bear in mind that the outside temperature dis-
play indicates the measured air temperature
and not the road surface temperature.
The outside temperature display is in the multi-
function display (Y page 133).
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after ashort delay. Coolant temperatur
edisplay G
WARNING
If yo uopen the bonnet while the engine is
overheating or while there is afire in the
engine compartment, you coul dcome into
contact with hot gase sorother leaking ser-
vice products. There is adange rofinjury.
Allow an overheating engine to cool down
before opening the bonnet. If there is afire in Displays and operation
131On-boardcomputer and displays
Z

Engine
Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions +
Top up coolan
tSee
Top up coolant See
Owner's Manual Owner's Manual The coolant level is too low.
X Top up the coolant, observing the warning notes before doing so
(Y page 215).
X Have the coolant system checked at aqualified specialist workshop
if the coolant needs topping up more often than usual. ? The fan motor is faulty.
X If the coolant temperature is below 120 †, drive on to the nearest
qualified specialist workshop.
X Avoid putting the engine under heavy loads as you do so, e.g. driving
in mountainous terrain and stop-start traffic. ?
Coolant Stop vehi‐ Coolant Stop vehi‐
cle Switch engine cle Switch engine
off off The coolant is too hot.
Aw
arning tonea lso sounds.
G WARNING
Never drive with an overheated engine. Drivin gwhen your engine has
overheated can cause any fluids that may have leaked into the engine compartment to catchf ire.
In addition, steam from an overheated engine can cause serious
burns, which can occur just by opening the bonnet.
There is arisk of injury.
X Stop the vehicle immediately, paying attention to road and traffic
conditions, and switch off the engine.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 113).
X Leave the vehicle and keep asafe distance from the vehicle until the
engine has cooled down.
X Make sure that the air supply to the engine radiator is not blocked,
e.g. by frozen slush.
X Do not start the engine again until the display message goes out and
the coolant temperature is below 120 †. The engine may otherwisebe damaged.
X Pay attention to the coolant temperature gauge.
X If the temperature increases again, consult aqualified specialist
workshop immediately.
Under normal operating conditions and with the specified coolant
level, the coolant temperature may rise to 120 †. 146
Display messagesOn-board computer and displays

Display messages
Possible causes/consequence
sand M
MSolutions The poly-V-belt may have torn.
X Stop the vehicle immediately, paying attention to road and traffic
conditions, and switch off the engine.
X Check the poly-V-belt.
If the poly-V-belt is torn:
! Do not continue driving. The engine could otherwise overheat.
X Consult aqualified specialist workshop.
If the poly-V-belt is OK:
X Wait until the display message disappears before restarting the
engine. The engine may otherwise be damaged.
X Pay attention to the coolant temperature gauge.
X Consult aqualified specialist workshop. # The battery is no longer being charged.
Aw
arning tonea lso sounds.
Possible causes:
R faulty alternator
R torn poly-V-belt
R am alfunction in the electronics
X Stop the vehicle immediately, paying attention to road and traffic
conditions, and switch off the engine.
X Open the bonnet.
X Check whether the poly-V-belt is torn.
If the poly-V-belt is torn:
! Do not continue driving. The engine could otherwise overheat.
X Consult aqualified specialist workshop.
If the poly-V-belt is OK: X Consult aqualified specialist workshop. 4
Check Check
eng.
eng.oil
oillev.
lev.
when
when next
nextrefuelling
refuelling The engine oil level has dropped to the minimum level.
Aw
arning tonea lso sounds.
X Check the oil level when next refuelling, at the latest (Y page 213).
X If necessary, top up the engine oil (Y page 213).
X Have the engine checked at aqualified specialist workshop if the
engine oil needs topping up more often than usual. 8
Reserve fuel level Reserve fuel level The fuel level has dropped into the reserve range.
Operation of the auxiliary heating is deactivated if the fuel level drops
into the reserve range.
X Refuel at the nearest filling station. Display me
ssages
147On-board compute rand displays Z

Warning/
indicator
lamp
N N
Signa ltype
Possible causes/consequences and M
MSolutions ?
N
The red coolant warning lamp lights up while the engine is running.
The coolant level is too low.
If the coolant level is correct, the airflow to the engine radiator may be blocked or the electric engine radiator fan may be malfunctioning.
The coolant is too hot and the engine is not being cooled sufficiently.
X Observe the additional display messages on the multifunction display.
X Stop the vehicle immediately, paying attention to road and traffic conditions,
and switch off the engine.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 113).
X Leave the vehicle and keep asafe distance from the vehicle until the engine has
cooled down.
X Check the coolant level and top up the coolant, making sure to observe the
warning notes (Y page 215).
X If you have to top up the coolant frequently, have the engine cooling system
checked.
X Make sure that the air supply to the engine radiator is not blocked, e.g. by frozen
slush.
X Do not start the engine again until the coolant temperature is below 120 †. The
engine may otherwise be damaged.
X Drive to the nearest qualified specialist workshop.
X Avoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving in mountainous terrain
and stop-start traffic. ?
N
The red coolant warning lamp lights up while the engine is running.
The coolant temperature has exceeded 120 †. The airflow to the engine radiator may be blocked or the coolant level may be too low.
G WARNING
The engine is not being cooled sufficiently and may be damaged.
Never drive with an overheated engine. Drivin gwhen your engine has overheated
can cause any fluids that may have leaked into the engine compartment to catch fire.
In addition, steam from an overheated engine can cause serious burns, which can
occur just by opening the bonnet.
There is arisk of injury.
X Observe the additional display messages on the multifunction display.
X Stop the vehicle immediately, paying attention to road and traffic conditions,
and switch off the engine.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 113).
X Leave the vehicle and keep asafe distance from the vehicle until the engine has
cooled down.
X Check the coolant level and top up the coolant, making sure to observe the
warning notes (Y page 215).
X If you have to top up the coolant frequently, have the engine cooling system
checked. Warning and indicato
rlamps on the instrument cluster
163On-boardcomputer and displays Z