2017 MERCEDES-BENZ G-Class maintenance

XTo apply:pull parking brake lever ;up
firmly.
Whe nthe ignition is switched on, the F
(US Aonly) or J(Canada only) indicator
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
XTo release: pull parking brake lever ;
slightly.
XPress release button :and guid eparking
brake ;down to the stop.
The F (USAonly) or !(Canada only)
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster goes
out.
The vehicl ecan also be braked during an emer-
genc ybyu sing the parking brake.
XTo 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, roads alta 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:
Rpull the parking brake up with release but-
ton :depressedf rom time to time before
beginning ajourney.
Rdrive for approximately1 10 yds(100 m) at a
maximu mspeed of 12 mph (20 km/h)
Parking the vehicle for alon gp eriod
If yo uleave the vehicl eparked for longer than
fourw eeks, the battery maybed amaged by
exhaustive discharging.
If yo ulea ve the vehicl eparked for longer thans ix
weeks, the vehicl emaysuffer damage as a
resul toflackofu se.
XVisit aquali fied specialist workshop and seek
advice.
iYo uc an obtai ninformatio nabout trickle
chargers from aquali fied specialist work-
shop.
Driving tips
General driving tips
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If yo uswitch off the ignition whil edriving,
safety-relevant functions are onlya vailable
with limitations, or not at all. Thi scould affect,
for example, the powe rsteering and the brake
boosting effect. Yo uwillr equire considerably
more effort to steera nd brake. There isarisk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition whil edriving.
GWARNING
If yo uoperate mobil ecommunication equip-
ment whil edriving ,you will be distracted from
traffic conditions. Yo ucould also lose control
of the vehicle. There is ariskofana ccident.
Onlyo perate thise quipment when the vehicle
is stationary.
Observe the legalr equirements for the country
in which yo uare driving .Some jurisdictions pro-
hibi tthe driver from using amobilephone while
driving avehicle.
If yo umakeac allw hile driving ,alway suse
hands-free mode. Onlyo perate the telephone
when the traffic situatio npermits. If yo uare
unsure, pull overtoas afel oc ation and stop
before operating the telephone.
Bea rinm ind thatata speed of only30m ph
(approximately50k m/h), the vehiclecovers a
distance of 44 ft (approximately1 4m)per sec-
ond.
Drive sensibly –save fuel
Observe the following tips to save fuel:
XThe tires should always be inflated to the rec-
ommended tire pressure.
XRemove unnecessary loads.
XRemove roof carriersw hen they are not nee-
ded.
XWarm up the engin eatlow engin espeeds.
XAvoid frequenta cceleration or braking.
XHave all servicea nd maintenancework car-
ried out at the specified intervals.
122Driving tips
Driving and parking

Fuelconsumptio nalsoi ncreases whe ndriving in
cold weather, in stop-start traffi cand in hilly ter-
rain.
Drinking and driving
GWARNING
Drinking and driving and/o rtaking drugs and
driving are very dangerous combinations.
Even asmall amount of alcoholord rugs can
affect your reflexes,p erceptions and judg-
ment.
The possibility of aseriousore ven fatalacci-
dent is greatly increased whe nyou drink or
take drugs and drive.
Do not drink or take drugs and drive or allow
anyone to drive who has bee ndrinking or tak-
ing drugs.
Emissionc ontrol
GWARNING
Combustio nengines emitp oisonousexhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There
is ar isk of fata linjury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces with-
outs ufficient ventilation.
Certai nengine systems are designe dtokeep
the level of poisonousc omponents in exhaust
fume swithin legal limits.
These systems only wor katpeakefficiency if
they are serviced exactl yinaccordance with the
manufacturer's specifications. Alway shave
wor kont he engine carried outata qualified
specialist workshop.M ercedes-Benz recom-
mends that yo uuse an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center for this purpose. In particular, work
relevant to safety or on safety-related systems
mus tbec arried outata qualified specialist
workshop.
The engine setting smustn ot be changed under
any circumstances. Furthermore,a llspecific
service wor kmustb ec arried outatr egular
intervals and in accordance with the Mercedes-
Benz service requirements. You can obtain cur-
rent information concerning the servicing of
your vehicle at any time from aquali fied spe-
cialist workshop.T hiscould be an overvie wof the maintenance wor
korany additional main-
tenance work, for example.
Brakes
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If yo ushift downonaslippery roads urface in
an attemp ttoincrease the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could los etheirg rip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift downf or additional engine brak-
ing on aslippery roads urface.
GWARNING
If yo uselect the LOW RANG Eoff-roadg earon
as lippery roads urface,the wheels could lose
traction:
Rif yo uremove your foot from the accelera-
tor pedal whe ndriving
Rif off roadA BS intervenes whe nbraking
If the wheels los etraction. the vehicle can no
longer be steered. There is an increased dan-
ger of skidding and accidents.
Nevers elect the LOW RANG Eoff-roadg ear
whe ndriving on slippery roads urfaces.
Information on the parking brake (
Ypage 121).
Downhillg radients
!On long and steep gradients, yo umust
reduce the loa donthe brakes by shifting to a
lower gearing oodtime. Thisa llow syou to
take advantage of the engine's braking effect.
Thish elps yo utoavoid overheating the
brakes and wearing them oute xcessively.
Wheny outake advantage of engine braking, a
drive wheel may not turn for some time, e.g.
on aslippery roads urface.Thisc ould cause
damag etothe drive train. Thist ypeofd amage
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz war-
ranty.
Thisa lsoa pplies if cruise control or DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated.
Drivin gtips123
Drivin gand parking
Z

Heavy and light loads
GWARNING
If you rest you rfoot on the brake pedalw hile
driving, the braking system can overheat. This increases the stopping distance and can even
caus ethe braking system to fail .There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedalasaf ootrest. Never
depress the brake pedala nd the accelerator
pedalatt he same time.
!Depressing the brake pedalc onstantly
results in excessive and premature weart o
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to aheavy
load, do not stop the vehiclei mmediately. Drive
on for ashort while. This allows the airflow to
cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads
If driving in heavy rain for aprolonged period of
time without braking, there may be adelayed
reactio nfrom the brakes when braking for the
first time. This may als ooccur after the vehicle
has been washed.
You have to depress the brake pedalm ore
firmly.M aintainagreater distance from the
vehicleinf ront.
After driving on awet road or having the vehicle
washed, brake firmly while paying attention to
the traffic conditions. This wil lwarmupt he
brake discs, thereby drying them more quickly
and protecting them against corrosion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
If you drive on salted roads, alayer of sal tresi-
due may form on the brake discs and brake
pads. This can result in asignificantly longer
braking distance.
RIn order to prevent any sal tbuild-up, apply the
brakes occasionall ywhile paying attention to
the traffic conditions.
RCarefully depress the brake pedala nd the
beginning and end of ajourney.
RMaintain agreater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes
!The brake flui dlevelm ay be too low,i f:
Rif the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluste rand
Ryou hearaw arning tone while the engine is
running
Observe additiona lwarning messages in the
multifunction display.
The brake flui dlevelm ay be too low due to
brake pad wearorl eaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immediately. Consult aqualified specialist workshopt o
arrange this.
!If the brake warning lamp lights up in the
instrument cluste rand you hearaw arning
tone even though the parking brake has been
released ,the brake flui dlevelm ay be too low.
Observe additionalw arning messages in the
multifunction display.
The brake flui dlevelm ay be too low due to
brake pad wearorl eaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immediately.
This work should be carrie dout at aqualified
specialist workshop.
!Af unction or performance test should only
be carrie dout on a2-axle dynamometer. If
you wis htooperate the vehicleons uch a
dynamometer, please consul taqualified spe-
cialist workshopina dvance. You couldoth-
erwise damage the drive train or the brake
system.
!The ESP®system operates automatically.I f
the parking brake is tested on abrake dyna-
mometer (for amaximu moften seconds),t he
engine and the ignitio nmust be switched off.
Braking triggereda utomatically by ESP
®may
otherwise caus esevere damage to the brake
system.
All checks and maintenance work on the brake
system must be carrie dout at aqualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Have brake pad sinstalled and brake fluid
replaced at aqualified specialist workshop.
If the brake system has only been subject to
moderate loads, you shoul
d test the functional-
ity of you rbrakes at regular intervals.
Informatio nonBAS (Brake Assist) (
Ypage5 8).
124Driving tips
Driving and parking

Rear benchseat
Folding the rear benchs eatforward
XFoldt he rears eatbackrest forward
(Ypage 207).
XPull the release in the direction of arrow :.
The corresponding rearb ench seatis
released.
XFoldr earbench seat ;forward.
;Rear bench seatf olded forward
Folding the rear benchs eatint oa n
upright position
GWARNING
If the rearb ench seat/rears eatand seat
backrest are not engaged they could foldf or-
wards ,e.g. when braking suddenlyorint he
event of an accident.
RThe vehicl eoccupant woul dthereby be
pushedi nto the seatb eltb ythe rearb ench
seat/rears eatorbythe seatb ackrest. The
seatb eltc an no longer offert he intended
level of protectionand could evenc ause
injuries.
RObjects or load sinthe trunk/cargo com-
partment canno tberestrained by the seat
backrest.
There is an increased ris kofinjury.
Before every trip ,make sure that the seat
backrests and the rearb ench seat/rearseat
are engaged.
XFoldt he rearb ench seatb ack.
The seatc atch engages audibly.
XFoldthe backrest back (Ypage 207).
XInstall the headr estraints (Ypage 77).
Securing loads
Important safety notes
Distribute the load on the carg otie-downr ings
evenly.
Do not tamper with or repai rcarg otie-down
points, carg otie-downr ingsort ie downs. Have
maintenance work as well as modifications,
installations and conversions carrie doutat a
qualified specialist workshop(
Ypage 27).
Observe the following notes on securing loads:
RObserve the loading guideline s(Ypage 204).
RSecure the load using the carg otie-down
rings.
RDistribute the load on the carg otie-down
ring sevenly.
RDo not us eelast ic straps or nets to secure a
load ,ast hesea re only intended as an anti-slip
protectio nfor light loads.
RDo not route tie-downs across sharp edges or
corners.
RPads harp edges for protection.
ROnly us etie downs that have bee ncheckedi n
accordance with applicabl estandards, e.g.
lashing nets or lashing straps.
RFil lthe spaces between the load and the
carg ocompartment wall sand the wheel
housing in aform-locking way. Only use
dimensionall ystable transportation aids for
this ,suc hasc hocks,w oodenf ixings or pad-
ding.
208Stowage areas
Stowage and features

Engine compartment
Hood
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If th ehood is unlatched, it may open up when
th ev ehicle is in motion and blocky our view.
Thereisar isk of an accident.
Never unlatch th ehood while driving .Before
ever ytrip, ensure that th ehood is locked.
GWARNING
When opening and closingt hehood,itm ay
suddenly fall int othe closed position.T hereis
ar isk of injury to personsw ithin range of
movementoft hehood.
Open and close th ehood only when no onei s
within its range of movement.
GWARNING
Opening th ehood when th eengine is over-
heated or when there is afireint heengine
compartmen tcoul de xpose you to hot gases
or other servic eproducts. Thereisar isk of
injury.
Let an overheate dengine coo ldown before
opening th ehood.Ift here is afireint he
engine compartment, keep th ehood closed
and contac tthe fired epartment.
GWARNING
The ignition system and th efuel injection sys-
te mw ork unde rhigh voltage. If you touch
component swhicha re unde rvoltage, you
coul dget an electric shock. Thereisar isk of
injury.
Never touch component softheignition sys-
te morf uel injection system when th eignition
is switched on.
GWARNING
The engine compartmen tcontain smoving
components. Certain components, sucha s
th er adiator fan ,may continue to run or start
again suddenly when th eignition is off .There
is ar isk of injury.
If you nee dtodoany work inside th eengine
compartment:
Rswitch off th eignition
Rnever reac hintot he area wheret here is a
risk of danger from moving components,
suchast hefan rotatio narea
Rremove jewelry and watches
Rkeep items of clothing and hair, for exam-
ple, away from moving parts
Do no ttou ch th efollowingw hen theignition is
switched on:
RIgnition coils
RSpar kplug connectors
RTest socket
Opening th ehood
GWARNING
Certain component sintheengine compart-
ment, suchast heengine ,radiator and parts
of th eexhaust system, can become ver yhot.
Workin gintheengine compartmen tposesa
risk of injury.
Wherep ossible, let th eengine coo ldown and
touch only th ecomponent sdescribe dinthe
following.
GWARNING
When th ehood is open and th ewindshield
wipersa re set in motion,y ou can be injured by
th ew iper linkage. Thereisar isk of injury.
Always switch off th ewindshield wipersa nd
th ei gnition before opening th ehood.
!Makes ure that th ewindshield wipersa re
no tfolded away from th ewindshield. You
coul dotherwise damag ethe windshield wip-
ers or th ehood.
Engine compartment225
Maintenance and care
Z

The release lever on the hood is in the footwell
on the left-hand side of the vehicle when viewed
in the direction of travel.
XMake sure that the windshield wipers are
turned off.
XPull release lever:on the hood.
The hood is released.
XLift the hood slightly.
XPush the handle of hood catch ;in the direc-
tion of the arrow and lift the hood.
The hood is opened and held open automati-
cally by the gas-filled strut.
Closing the hood
XLower the hood and let it fall from aheight of
approximately 8in(20 cm).
XCheck that the hood has engaged properly.
If the hood can be raised slightly, it is not
properly engaged. Open it again and close it
withalittle more force.
Radiator
Do not cover up the radiator, such as with a
thermal mat or insect protection cover. Other-
wise, the values of the European on-board diag- nostics may be affected. Some of these read-
ings are required by law and must be accurate at
all times.
Engine oil
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Certain components in the engine compart-
ment,s uch as the engine, radiator and parts
of the exhaust system, can become very hot.
Workin ginthe engine compartment poses a
risk of injury.
Where possible, let the engine cool down and touch only the components described in the
following.
GWARNING
The engine compartment contains moving
components .Certain components ,such as
the radiator fan, may continue to run or start
again suddenly when the ignition is off. There is ar isk of injury.
If you need to do any work inside the engine
compartment:
Rswitch off the ignition
Rnever reach into the area where there is a
risk of danger from moving components,
such as the fan rotation area
Rremove jewelry and watches
Rkeep items of clothinga nd hair, for exam-
ple, away from moving parts
GWARNING
If engine oil comes into contact with hot com- ponent sinthe engine compartment,itm ay
ignite. There is arisk of fire and injury.
Make sure that engine oil is not spilled next to
the filler neck.L et the engine cool down and
thoroughly clean the engine oil off the com-
ponent sbefore starting the engine.
226Engine compartment
Maintenance and care

GWARNING
Opening the hood when the engine is over-
heated or when there is afire in the engine
compartment coul dexpose you to hot gases
or other service products. There is arisk of
injury.
Let an overheated engine cool downb efore
opening the hood. If there is afire in the
engine compartment, keep the hood closed
and contact the fire department.
Notes on the oil level
Depending on you rdriving style ,the vehicle
consumes up to 0.9 US qt (0.8 liters )ofoil per
600 mile s(1000 km). The oil consumption may
be higher than this whe nthe vehicle is new or if
you frequently drive at high engine speeds.
Depending on the engine, the oil dipstick may be
in ad ifferent location.
When checking the oil level:
Rpark the vehicle on alevels urface
Rthe engine should be switched off for approx-
imately five minutes if the engine is at normal
operating temperature
Rif the engine is not at normal operating tem-
perature, e.g. if the engine wa sonly started
briefly,w aita pproximately 30 minutes before
carrying out the measurement
Checking the oil level usingt he oil dip-
stick
Example: engine compartment
On the G63AMG, the oil levelc an be checked
using the oil dipstick.
XPul loil dipstick :out of the dipstick guide
tube.
XWipeo ff oil dipstick :.
XSlowly slide oil dipstick :into the guide tube
to the stop and take it out again after approx-
imately three seconds.
If the levelisb etween MIN mark =and MAX
mark ;,the oil levelisc orrect.
XIf the oil levelh as dropped to MIN mark =or
below, add 1.1 US qt (1.0 l)of engine oil.
On all other models, the on-board computer
must be used to check the engine oil level.
Checking the oil level using the on-
board computer
G5 50: the oil level can only be checked using
the on-board computer.
XMake sure that the SmartKey is in position 2
in the ignition lock.
XPress 9or: on the steering wheel to
select the following message: Measuring
EngineOilLevelAccurateOnlyWhenVehicle Is Level
The measurement takesafew seconds. You will
see one of the following messages in the multi-
function display:
REngine Oil Level OK
RAdd1.1litersEng.OilatNextRefu‐eling
XAdd oil if necessary.
If the engine is at normal operating temperature and the Reduce Engine Oil Level
display
appears, too much oil has been added.
XHave excess oil siphoned off.
If the For Engine Oil Level Ignition
Must Be Onmessage appears:
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock (Ypage 104).
If the Need More Time to Check Engine
Oil Levelmessage appears:
XIf the engine is at norma loperating tem-
perature: repeat the measurement after
approximately five minutes.
XIf the engine is not at norma loperating
temperature: e.g. if the engine was only star-
ted briefly, repeat the measurement after
approximately 30 minutes.
Engine compartment227
Maintenance and care
Z

If theEngine Oil Level Not Measurablewith Running Enginemessage appears:
XSwitch off the engine.
XIf the engine is at normal operating tem-
perature: waitabou tfive minutes before car-
rying out the measurement.
XIf the engine is not at normal operating
temperature: e.g. if the engine was only star-
ted briefly, wai tapproximately 30 minutes
before carrying out the measurement.
If you wish to cancel the measurement, press
the 9 or: button on the multifunction
steering wheel.
Adding engine oil
!Use only engine oils and oil filters that are
approved for vehiclesw ithaservice system. A
list of the engine oils and oil filters that have
been tested and approved in accordance with
Mercedes-Benz Specifications for Service
Products is available at any authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
The following cause engine failure or damage
to the exhaust system:
RUse of engine oils and oil filters that have
not been expressly approved for the service
system
RReplacement of engine oil and oil filter after
the replacement interval specifiedbyt he
service system has expired
RUse of engine oil additives
!Do not add too much oil. If the oil level is
above the "max" mark on the dipstick, too
much oil has been added. This can leadt o
damage to the engine or the catalytic con-
verter. Have excess oil siphoned off.
HEnvironmental note
When adding oil, take care not to spilla ny. If
oil enters the soil or waterways ,itisharmful to
the environment.
Example: engine oil cap
XTurn cap :counter-clockwise and remove it.
XAdd the amount of engine oil required.
Observe the specifications in the on-board com-
puter when doing so or fill carefully to the max-
imum mark on the oil dipstick.
The difference betweent he minimum mark and
the maximum mark on the oil dipstick is approx-
imatel y2.1 US qt (2.0 l).
XReplace cap :on the fille rneck and tighten
clockwise.
Ensur ethat the cap locks into place securely.
Further information on engine oil(
Ypage 278).
Additional servic eproducts
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Certai ncomponents in the engine compart-
ment, such as the engine, radiator and parts
of the exhaus tsystem, can become very hot.
Working in the engine compartment poses a
ris kofi njury.
Where possible ,let the engine cool dow nand
touch only the components described in the
following.
GWARNING
The engine compartment contains moving
components .Certai nc omponents ,suc ha s
the radiator fan, may continu etorun or start
agai nsudde nlyw hent he ignition is off. There
is ar iskofi njury.
228Engine compartment
Maintenancea nd care