2016 MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS SUV traction control

1, 2,
3...
4ETS (Electronic Traction System) see ETS/4ETS (Electronic Trac-
tion System)
12 Vsocket
see Socket (12 V) A
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) Display message ............................ 142
Function/notes ................................ 52
Warning lamp .................................1 58
Activating/deactivating air-recir-
culation mode ...................................... 89
ADAPTIVE BRAKE ................................. 56
Adaptive brake lights .......................... 53
AdBlue ®
Additive ......................................... 252
Display message ............................ 148
Filling capacity ............................... 252
Important safety notes .................. 251
Low outside temperatures ............. 252
Purity ............................................. 252
Topping up ..................................... 111
Additives (engine oil) ........................ 253
Adjustin gthe seat ............................... 69
AF (alternative frequency) ................ 177
Airc onditioning
Windscreen heating ......................... 88
Airf ilter(wh ite display message) .... 148
Airv ents
Important safety notes .................... 93
Rea r................................................. 94
Setting ............................................. 93
Setting the centre airv ents ............. 94
Setting the sid eairvents ................. 94
Air-conditionin gsystem
see Climate control
Airbag
Introduction ..................................... 36
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indica-
tor lamp .......................................... .32
Airbags
Fron tairbag (driver ,front
passenger )....................................... 37
Important safety gu idelines............. 36 Triggering ......................................... 37
Alarm
ATA (Anti-Theft Alarm system) ......... 56
Switching off (ATA) .......................... 56
Switching the function on/off
(ATA) ................................................ 56
All-whee ldrive
Transfer case ................................. 124
Approach/departurea ngle.............. 121
Aquaplaning ....................................... 117
Ashtray ............................................... 208
Assembly tool
General notes ................................ 210
Radio aerial .................................... 210
Assistance display (on-board com-
puter) .................................................. 137
Assistance menu (on-board com-
puter) .................................................. 137
ASSYST service interva ldisplay
Servic emessages .......................... 216
ATA (Anti-Theft Alarm system)
Activating/deactivatin g................... 56
Function ........................................... 56
Switching off the alarm .................... 56
Audi oAUX jack .................................. 178
AUTO lights
Displa ymessage ............................ 145
see Lights
Automatic engine start (ECO start/
sto pfunction) ...................................... 99
Automatic engine switch-off (ECO
start/sto pfunction) ............................ 98
Automatic headlamp mode ................ 75
Automatic transmission
Displa ymessage ............................ 153
Drive position (EC Ostart/stop
function) ........................................ 103
Drive programs .............................. 104
Driving tip s.................................... 103
Emergency running mod e.............. 108
Engaging drive position .................. 103
Engaging neutral ............................ 102
Engaging reverse gea r................... 102
Engaging the park position ............ 102
Important safety notes .................. 101
Kickdow n....................................... 104
Manua lshifting .............................. 106 4
Index

4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
i
Observ
ethe "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 52).
4ETS traction control is part of ESP ®
.
4ETS traction control is no longer active above a
speed of approximately 60 km/h.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
awaya nd accelerate on slippery surfaces, e.g. if
the road surface is slippery on one side. In addi-
tion, more drive torque is transferred to the
wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active if you deactivate
ESP ®
.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 52). G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilise the vehicle. In addition, other driving
safety systems are switched off. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully.H ave ESP®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! Only operate the vehicl
efor am aximu mof
ten seconds on abrake dynamometer. Switch
off the ignition.
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may oth-
erwise destroy the brake system.
! Af
unction or performance test should only
be carrie dout on atwin-axle dynamometer.
Before you operate the vehicl eonsuch a
dynamometer, please consult aqualified
workshop. You coul dotherwise damage the
drive train or the brake system.
If the å ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up
continuously,E SP®
is deactivated.
If the ÷ ESP®
warning lamp lights up contin-
uously,E SP®
is not available due to amalfunc-
tion.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page1 59) and display messages which may
be displayed in the instrument cluster
(Y page1 42). Use only wheels with the recommended tyre
sizes. Only then will ESP ®
functio nproperly.
If differential locks are switched on, ABS,B AS
and ESP ®
switch off automatically.
Characteristics of ESP ® General information
If the ÷ ESP warning lamp goes out before
you begin the journey, ESP ®
is automatically
active.
If ESP ®
intervenes,t he÷ ESP®
warning lamp
flashes on the instrument cluster.
If ESP ®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
X When pulling away, depress the accelerator
pedalo nly as far as is necessary.
X Adapt yourd riving style to suit the prevailing
road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automaticall yifthe vehicle stops
moving. When the vehicle pulls awaya gain, the
engine starts automatically. ESP ®
remains in its
previously selected status, e.g. if ESP ®
was
deactivated before the engine was automati-
callys witched off.
Deactivating/activating ESP ® Im
portant safety notes
i Observ
ethe "Importan tsafety notes" sec-
tio n(Ypage 52).
You can select between th efollowin gESP®
sta-
tuses:
R ESP ®
is activated
R ESP ®
is deactivated G
WARNING
If yo udeactivate ESP ®
,E SP ®
no longer sta-
bilises the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following. 54
Driving safety systemsSafety

It may be best to deactivate ESP
®
in the follow-
ing situations:
R when snow chains are used
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
R off-road
Spinning the wheelsr esults inacutting action,
which enhances traction.
Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations descri-
bed above no longer apply. ESP ®
willo therwise
not be abletos tabilise the vehicle if the vehicle
starts to skid or awheel starts to spin.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®X
To deactivate: press button:until the
å warning lamp lights up in the instrument
cluster.
X To activate: press button :until the å
warning lamp goes out in the instrument clus-
ter.
Characteristic swhenE SP®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivate dand one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp on
the instrument cluster flashes. In such situa-
tions, ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle.
If yo udeactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improve sdriving stability
R engine torque is no longer limite dand the
drive wheels may start to spin
R tractio ncontro lisstilla ctivated
R ESP ®
stil lprovides support when yo ubrake
firmly
R and are driving at aspeed above 60 km/h,
ESP ®
stil lintervene swheno ne whee lreaches
its gri plim it eve nthough it is deactivated Trailer stabilisation General information
If you rvehicle/trailer combinatio nbegins to
lurch, ESP ®
assists you in this situation. ESP ®
slowst he vehicle down by braking and limiting
the engine outpu tuntil the vehicle/trailer com-
binatio nhas stabilised.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilisation willn ot be abletoprevent
the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with ahigh centre of gravity can
tip over before ESP ®
can detect this. There is
ar isk of an accident.
Always adapt yourd riving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
If yourv ehicle/trailer combination begins to
lurch ,you can stabilise the vehicle/trailer com-
bination only by depressing the brake firmly.
Trailer stabilisation is active above speeds of
about 60 km/h.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation does not work if ESP ®
is deactivated or disabledb ecause ofamalfunc-
tion. EB
D( electronic brak eforce distribu-
tion)
General information EB
Dm onitors and controls the brake pressure
on the rea rwheel stoi mprov edrivin gstability
whil ebraking.
Important safety notes i
Observ
ethe "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 52). G
WARNING
If EBD is malfunctioning, the rear wheels can
lock, e.g. under full braking. This increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have Driving safe
tysystems
55Safety
Z

Alway
sobserve the fording depth values
(Y page 255). Parkin
gthe vehicle after heavy loads
on the engine
! Vehicles with
adiesel engine: your vehi-
cle's exhaust gas turbocharger may get very
hot under heavy engine load, e.g. during:
R trailer towing
R longer motorway journeys at high speed
R longer journeys through mountainous ter-
rain
X Let the engine run for approximately another
two minutes while the vehicle is stationary
before switching off the engine.
This way, the exhaust gas turbocharger can
cool down more effectively. Winte
rdriving 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. 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. G
DANGER
If the exhaus tpipe is blocke doradequate
ventilation is no tpossible, poisonous gases
suc hasc arbon monoxide (CO) may ente rthe
vehicle. This is th ecase, e.g. if th evehicle
become strapped in snow. There is ariskof
fatal injury.
If you leav ethe engin eortheauxiliary heating
running, mak esuret he exhaust pipe and area
around th evehicl eare clear of snow. To
ensur eana dequate supply of fresh air, open a
window on th eside of th evehicl ethatisn ot
facing int othe wind.
Hav eyour vehicl ewinterproofed at aqualified
specialist workshop at th eonset of winter.
You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
per yroads urfaces. Avoid sudden acceleration,
steering and braking manoeuvres.
If th evehicl ethreaten stoskidorc annotbe
stoppe dwhen moving at low speed:
X Shift th eautomatic transmission to position
N.
X Try to bring th evehicl eunder control by using
corrective steering.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefor eunsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in th eoutside temperature are dis-
played after ashort delay.
Indicate dtem peratures jus tabov ethe freezing
poin tdon otguarantee that th eroads urfac eis
free of ice .The roa dmay still be icy, especially in
wooded area soronbridges.The vehicl ecould
skid if you fail to adapt your drivin gstyle. Always
adapt your drivin gstyle and drive at aspeed to
suit th eprevailing weather conditions.
You should pay special attention to roa dcondi-
tion swhen temperatures are around freezing
point.
Further information on drivin gwiths nowc hains
(Y page 237).
Further information on drivin gwiths ummer
tyres (Y page 237).
Observ ethe note sint he"Winte roperation "sec-
tion (Y page 236). 118
Driving tipsDriving and parking

R
the automatic transmission is in selector
lever position i
R youa renot drivin gfastert ha n7 0km/h
Yo uc ould otherwis edamag ethe transfer
case.
X Press button ;.
Once the shiftin gprocedur ehasbeen com-
pleted, the HIGH
HIGH RANGE RANGE transfe rcasep osit ion
is shown in the multifunctio ndisplay.
Indicato rlamp :goes out.
If the shiftin gprocedur eisunsuccessful, the
multifunctio ndisplay mayshowt he following
messages:
R TC shift condition snot fulfilled
TC shift condition snot fulfilled
One or mor eshift conditions ha snot been
met.
R TC neutra lon
TC neutra lon
The transfe rcaseh ascancelle dthe shifting
procedur eand is in position N.
R TC shift cancelled
TC shift cancelled
The transfe rcaseh ascancelle dthe gear
change process.
X Repeat the gear change process.
Make sure al lconditions for gear changing are
met.
R TC malfunction Visit workshop
TC malfunction Visit workshop
The transfe rcaseisf aulty.
X Do not shift the transfe rcase.
X Hav ethe vehicl echecked as soo naspossible
at aq uali fied specialis tworkshop.
Shifting to neutral G
WARNING
If you do not wai tfor the transfer case gear
change process to complete, the transfer
case coul dremai ninthe neutral position. The
power transmission to the drive nwheels is
then interrupted. There is adange rofthe
vehicl erolling awayu nintentionally.T here is a
risk of an accident.
Waitu ntil the transfer case shift process is
completed.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignitio nlock.
X Apply the parking brake.
X Depress the brake pedal. X
Shift the automatic transmissio ntoposition
N.
X Press and hol dLOW RANG Ebutton ;for
approximately ten seconds.
Whe nthe shift procedure is complete, the
multifunction display shows the TC TCNeutral
Neutral
on
on message for five seconds.
If the shifting procedur eisunsuccessful, the
multifunction displaym ay show the following
messages (Y page 149).
If the transfer case is in Neutral,the key is in the
ignition lock and you open the driver's door, the
TC Neutral on
TC Neutral on message appears in the multi-
function display. If you then release the parking
brake, awarning tone will sound. Differentia
llocks
General notes G
WARNING
When th edifferential locks are engaged, ABS,
4ETS, ESP ®
and BAS are deactivated. This
coul dcauset he wheels to lock and increases
the braking distance. There is arisk of an
accident.
Disengage the differential locks immediately
on firm surfaces with good grip.
! To prevent damage to the transfer case, you
may only operate the vehicl eonaroller dyna-
mometer (single-axle roller dynamometer) if:
R the axle that is not being drive nisraised.
or
R the corresponding propellers haft is dis-
connected and the transfer case differen-
tial lock is engaged.
Otherwise, the transfer case can be damaged.
Differentia llocks improv ethe traction of the
vehicle.
Yourv ehicleise quipped with adifferential 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 Off-roa
ddriving systems
125Driving and parking Z

Engaging th
edifferential locks General notes
The switches are at the top of the centre con-
sole. :
Function indicato rlam ps (red)
; Differentia llock for the front axle
= Differentia llock for the transfe rcase
? Differentia llock for the rea raxle
A Activation indicator lamps (yellow)
Engag ethe differential locks:
R off-road
R to deactivate ABS, 4ETS, ESP ®
and BAS when
off-road
R whe nfording
Furthe rinformation on driving off-road
(Y page 119).
You can engage the differential locks in the fol-
lowing order: =,?,;.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you engag ethe differential locks when driv-
ing on afirm, high-traction surface, the steer-
ability of the vehicl eisseverely impaired .You
coul dlose control of the vehicle, especially
when activating on abend. There is arisk of an
accident.
Disengage the differential locks immediately
on afirm, high-traction surface. G
WARNING
When the differential locks are engaged, ABS, 4ETS, ESP ®
and BAS are deactivated. This
coul dcauset he wheels to lock and increases the braking distance. There is
ariskofan
accident.
Disengag ethe differential locks immediately
on fir msurfaces with good grip.
! Onl
yengag ethe differential locks when:
R youa redrivin gatw alking pace
R the drive wheels ar enot spinning
R youa renot drivin gonafirmr oads urface
Differential lock fo rthe transfe rcase X
To engage: press switch =.
The yellow indicator 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 multifunctio ndisplay ,you see the
Differential locks active ABS and Differential locks active ABS and
ESP not available ESP not available
The å!÷ warninglamps light up in
the instrument cluster.
The differential lock for the transfer case is
engaged.
4ETS, ESP ®
,B AS and ABS are deactivated.
Vehicle steerability is severely restricted. Drive
carefully and accelerate gently for optimum
traction.
You can now engage the differential lock for rear axle ?and front axle ;as required.
Differential lockf or the rear axle X
To engage: press switch ?.
Yellow act ivation indicator lamp Alights up
first, followe dbyred functio nindicator
lamp :of switch ?.
The differential lock for the rea raxleis
engaged.
Differential lock for the fron taxle X
To engage: press switch ;.
The yellow activation indicator lamp lights up
first, followe dbythe red functio nindicator
lamp.
The differential lock for the front axl eis
engaged. 126
Off-road driving systemsDriving an
dparking

Display messages
Possible causes/consequence
sand M
MSolutions Check tyres
Check tyres The tyre pressure in one or more tyres has dropped significantly. The
wheel position is shown in the multifunction display.
Aw arning tonea lso sounds.
G WARNING
Underinflated tyres pose the following risks:
R the tyres may burst, especially as the load and vehicle speed
increase
R the tyres may wear excessively and/or unevenly, which may greatly
impair tyre traction
R the driving characteristics, as well as steerin gand braking, may be
greatly impaired
There is arisk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steerin gorbraking
manoeuvres. Pay attention to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 113).
X If there is aflat tyre, inspect the tyres (Y page 224).
X Check the tyre pressure (Y page 239).
X If necessary, correc tthe tyre pressure. Warning tyre defect Warning tyre defect The tyre pressure in one or more tyres has dropped suddenly. The
wheel position is shown in the multifunction display.
Aw
arning tonea lso sounds.
G WARNING
If you drive with aflat tyre, there is arisk of the following hazards:
R af lat tyre impairs the ability to steer or brake the vehicle
R you could lose control of the vehicle
R continued driving with aflat tyre will cause excessiv eheat build-up
and possibly afire
There is arisk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steerin gorbraking
manoeuvres. Pay attention to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 113).
X If there is aflat tyre, inspect the tyres (Y page 224).Rectify tyre pres‐ Rectify tyre pres‐
sure sure The tyre pressure is too low in at least one of the tyres, or the tyre
pressure differenc ebetween the wheels is too great.
X Check the tyre pressures at the next opportunit y(Ypage 239).
X If necessary, correc tthe tyre pressure.
X Restart the tyre pressure monitor (Y page 241).Wheel sensor(s)
Wheel sensor(s)
missing missing There is no signal from the tyre pressure sensor of one or several tyres.
The pressure of the affected tyre does not appear in the multifunction
display.
X Have the faulty tyre pressure sensor replaced at aqualified spe-
cialist workshop. Display me
ssages
151On-board compute rand displays Z

Display messages
Possible causes/consequence
sand M
MSolutions Tyre
Tyre
press.
press. monitor
monitor
currently unavaila‐
currently unavaila‐
ble ble No signals can be received from the tyre pressure sensors due to
strong RF interference. The tyre pressure monitor is temporarily mal-
functioning.
X Drive on.
The tyre pressure monitor restarts automatically as soon as the
cause has been rectified. h
Tyre pressure Cau‐ Tyre pressure Cau‐
tion, tyre malfunc‐ tion, tyre malfunc‐
tion tion The tyre pressure in one or more tyres has dropped suddenly. The
wheel position is shown on the multifunction display.
Aw
arning tonea lso sounds.
G WARNING
If you drive with aflat tyre, there is arisk of the following hazards:
R af lat tyre impairs the ability to steer or brake the vehicle
R you could lose control of the vehicle
R continued driving with aflat tyre will cause excessiv eheat build-up
and possibly afire
There is arisk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steerin gorbraking
manoeuvres. Pay attention to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 113).
X If there is aflat tyre, inspect the tyres (Y page 224).h
Tyre Tyre
pressure
pressure Check
Check
tyre(s)
tyre(s) The tyre pressure in one or more tyres has dropped significantly. The
wheel position is shown on the multifunction display.
Aw arning tonea lso sounds.
G WARNING
Underinflated tyres pose the following risks:
R the tyres may burst, especially as the load and vehicle speed
increase
R the tyres may wear excessively and/or unevenly, which may greatly
impair tyre traction
R the driving characteristics, as well as steerin gand braking, may be
greatly impaired
There is arisk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steerin gorbraking
manoeuvres. Pay attention to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 113).
X If there is aflat tyre, inspect the tyres (Y page 224).
X Check the tyre pressure (Y page 239).
X If necessary, correc tthe tyre pressure. h
Rectify tyre pres‐ Rectify tyre pres‐
sure sure The tyre pressure is too low in at least one of the tyres, or the tyre
pressure differenc ebetween the wheels is too great.
X Check the tyre pressures at the next opportunit y(Ypage 239).
X If necessary, correc tthe tyre pressure. 152
Display messagesOn-board computer and displays