2017 MERCEDES-BENZ G-Class check engine

XWhen gearshift recommendation:appears
on the multifunction display, pull the right-
hand steerin gwheel paddle shifter
(
Ypage 114).
The automatic transmission shifts to recom-
mended gear ;.
Downshifting
XPull the left-hand steerin gwheel paddle
shifter (Ypage 114).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
If you slow down or stop without shiftin gdown,
the automatic transmission automatically shifts
down.
Selecting the optimal gear for maxi-
mum acceleration
XPull the left-hand steerin gwheel paddle
shifter until the transmission selects the opti-
mum gear accordingtot he speed.
Switching off the manual drive program
XAll vehicles (except Mercedes ‑AMG vehi-
cles): press the program selector button
repeatedly until Eor Sis shown in the multi-
function display.
XMercedes‑AMG vehicles: press the program
selector button repeatedly until Cor Sis
shown in the multifunction display.
Problems with the automatic transmission
ProblemPossible causes/consequences and MSolutions
The transmission has
problems shiftinggear.The transmission is losing oil.
XHave the transmission checked at aqualified specialist workshop
immediately.
The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no lon-
ger changes gear.The transmission is in emergency mode.
It is only possible to shift into secondgear and reverse gear.
XStop the vehicle.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XTurn the SmartKey to positiongin the ignition lock.
XWait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine.
XShift the transmission to position Dor R.
If D is selected, the transmission shifts into secondgear; ifRis
selected, the transmission shifts into reverse gear.
XHave the transmission checked at aqualified specialist workshop
immediately.
You hear awarning tone.You have:
Rswitched off the engine
Ropened the driver's door
Rnot shifted the selector lever to position P
XShift the selector lever to positionP.
Automatic transmission117
Driving and parking
Z

Opening the fuel filler flap
:To open the fuel filler flap
;Tire pressure table
=Instruction label for fuel type to be refueled
?To insert the fuel filler cap
XSwitchthe engine off.
iWhen the engine is running and the fuel filler
flap is open, the yellow reserve fuel warning
lamp and the =(USA only) or ;(Can-
ada only) Check Engine warning lamp may
light up.
Further information about warning and indi-
cator lamps in the instrument cluster can be
found in the Digital Operator's Manual.
XRemove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
XTurn the fuel filler cap counterclockwise and
remove it.
XInser tthe fuel filler cap into the holder
bracket on the inside of filler flap ?.
XCompletely insert the filler neck of the fuel
pump nozzle into the tank and refuel.
XOnly fill the tank until the pump nozzle
switches off.
Do not add any more fuel after the pump stops
filling for the first time. Otherwise, fuel may leak
out.
Closing the fuel filler flap
XReplace the cap on the filler neck and turn
clockwise until it engages audibly.
XClose the fuel filler flap.
Close the fuel filler flap before lockin gthe vehi-
cle. If you are driving with the fuel filler cap open, the
8
reservef uel warning lamp flashes. Ames-
sage appears in the multifunction display
(
Ypage 179).
Fuel filler flap emergency release
The emergency release is located in the cargo
compartment ,onthe right-hand side when
viewed in the direction of travel, behind the rear
panel trim.
The vehicle walls in the area around the emer-
genc yrelease have sharp edges. There is arisk
of injury. Avoid contact with the edges on the
inside of the vehicle body.
XOpen the rear door.
XPull off edge protection ;.
XRemove rear wall trim:.
XPull emergency release =in the direction of
the arrow.
The fuel filler flap is unlocked.
XOpen the fuel filler flap (Ypage 119).
Refueling119
Driving and 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

Familiarize yourself with the characteristics of
your vehicle and the gearshift operation before
driving through difficult terrain.
The following driving systems are specially
adapted to off-roadd riving:
R4ETS (Ypage 59)
ROff-roadABS (Ypage 58)
RTransfer case (Ypage 145)
RDifferentia llocks (Ypage 120)
Observe the following notes:
RStop the vehicle before yo udrive off-roada nd,
if necessary ,shift the transfe rcase to the off-
roadd riving position LOW RANGE
(
Ypage 146).
REngag ethe differential locks if necessary
(Ypage 148).
iABS, 4ETS, ESP®and BAS are deactivated
while the differential locks are engaged.T his
allow sthe front wheels to lock briefly, so that
these can dig into aloose surface .However,
please note that locke dwheels skid and can
no longer steer.
RCheck that items of luggage and loads are
stowed safely and are well secured
(
Ypage 209).
RTo avoid damaging the vehicle, make sure
there is always sufficient ground clearance.
RAlway skeep the engine running and in gear
whe ndriving on adownhil lgradient.
RAlway skeep the engine running and in gear
whe ndriving downani ncline.
RDrive slowlyand evenly, if necessary at a
walking pace.
REnsure that the wheels are in contact with the
ground at al ltimes.
RDrive with extreme care on unfamilia roff-road
routes where visibility is poor. For safety rea-
sons, get ou

tofthe vehicle firs tand survey
the off-roadr oute.
RCheck the depth of water before fording rivers
and streams.
RWatch outfor obstacles.
RAlwayskeep the doors, reard oor, sidewin-
dowsa nd the sliding sunroof closed while the
vehicle is in motion.
RSwitch off cruise control.
RDo not deviate from marke droutes.
RAdap tyou rspeed to the terrain. The rougher,
steeper or more ruts on the terrain, the slower
your speed should be.
RDo not jump with the vehicle. as this will inter-
rup tthe vehicle' spropulsion.
RAvoid hig hengine speeds .Drive at appropri-
ate engine speeds (maximu m3,000 rpm).
RDo not shift the automatic transmission to
position N.
RAlwayscheck the vehicle for damag eafteroff-
roadd riving.
Do not use the HOLD function whe ndriving off-
road, on steep uphil lordownhil lgradients or on
slippery or loose surfaces. The HOLD function
cannot holdt he vehicle on such surfaces.
You can obtain further information aboutr etro-
fitting specia lall-terrain tires from aquali fied
specialist workshop.
Checklist before driving off-road
!If the engine oil warning lamp lights up while
the vehicle is in motion, stop the vehicle in a
saf ep lace as soona spossible. Check the
engine oil level. The engine oil warning lamp
warning mus tnot be ignored.C ontinuing the
journey while the symbol is displaye dcould
lea dtoe ngine damage.
XEngin eoillevel: check the engine oil level
and ad doil if necessary.
Whend riving on steep gradients, the engine
oil level mus tbes ufficiently hig htoensure a
correct oil supply in the vehicle.
XTire-changing too lkit: check that the jack is
working and make sur eyou hav ethe lug
wrench, arobust tow cable and afolding
spade in the vehicle.
XWheels and tires: check the tire treadd epth
and tire pressure.
XCheck for damag eand remove any foreign
objects, e.g. small stones,f rom the wheels/
tires.
XReplace any missing valve caps.
XReplace dente dordamaged wheels .Also
check the spare wheel.
XRims: dentedorbent rims can result in aloss
of tire pressure and damag ethe tire bead.
Befored riving off-road, check the wheels and
replace them if necessary.
128Drivin gtips
Drivin gand parking

Checklist after driving off-road
!If you detect damagetothevehicle after
driving off-road, have th evehicle checked
immediately at aqualified specialist work-
shop.
Drivin goverroug hterra in places greater
demands on your vehicle than driving on normal
roads. Afte rdriving off-road, check th evehicle.
This allows you to detect damag epromptly and
reduc ethe riskofana ccidenttoy ourself and
other road users.
XShift th etransfer cas etotheon-road position
HIG HRANGE (Ypage 146).
XDisengage th edifferential locks
(Ypage 149).
XClean th eheadlamps and rear lightsa nd
check for damage.
XClean th efront and rear licens eplates.
XClean th ewheelsa nd tires withaw aterjet
and remove any foreign objects.
XClean th ewheels, wheel housing sand the
vehicle underside withaw aterjet;c he ck for
any foreign object sand damage.
XCheckw hether twigs or other part sofplants
have become trapped. Thesei ncreasethe risk
of fir eand can damag efuel pipes,b rake
hoses or th erubbe rbellows of th eaxle joints
and propeller shafts.
XAfte rthe trip, examin ewithout fail th eentire
undercarriage, wheels, tires, brakes, body-
work structure, steering ,cha ssis and exhaust
system for damage.
XAfte rdriving in sand, mud, gravel, wate ror
similar dirt yconditions, have th efollowing
checked and cleaned:
Rbrak ediscs
Rwheels
Rbrak epads
Raxle joints
XIf you notic estron gv ibrations after off-road
driving ,che ck for foreign object sinthe
wheelsa nd drivetrain and ,ifnecessary,
remove them. Foreign object scan disturb the
balance and caus evibrations.
XCarr youtab rak etest.
Driving on sand
Observ ethe followingr ules when driving on
sand:
RShift th etransfer cas etotheoff-road driving
position LOW RANGE (Ypage 146).
RAvoid high engines peeds.
RShift theautomatic transmission to alow
gear.
RDrive quickly to overcome th erolling resist-
ance. Otherwise th evehicle's wheelsc ould
become stuck in looseg round.
RDrive in thetrack sofo ther vehicle sifpossi-
ble. When doings o, makesure that:
-thet irer utsa re no ttoo deep
-thes andiss ufficiently firm
-your vehicle has sufficient ground clear-
ance
Tirer utsa nd grave lroads
!Checkt hatthe rutsa re no ttoo deep and
that your vehicle has sufficient clearance.
Otherwise, your vehicle coul dbedamaged or
botto mout and get stuck.
Observ ethe followingr ules when driving along
rut sino ff-road terrain or on road swithl oose
gravel:
RShift th etransfer cas etotheoff-road driving
position LOW RANGE (Ypage 146).
RAvoid high engines peeds.
RObservethe safety note s(Ypage 127) and
th eg eneral note s(Ypage 127) on off-road
driving.
RShift th eautomatic transmission to alow
gear.
RDrive slowly.
RWherer utsa re to odeep, driv ewitht he
wheelsofo neside on th ecente rgrassy area,
if possible.
Driving over obstacles
!Obstacle scoul dd amag ethe floo roft he
vehicle or components of th echassis.A sk
passengersf or guidance when driving over
large obstacles. The passenger should always
keep asafe distanc efromt hevehicle when
doingsoino rder to avoid injury as aresult of
unexpected vehicle movements. Afte rdriving
off-road or ove robstacles, check th evehicle
Driving tips129
Driving and parking
Z

sufficient, brake gently. When doing so, make
sure that the vehicle is facing in the direction
of the line of fall.
RObserve the notes on driving in mountainous
terrain (Ypage 130).
RCheck that the service brake is working nor-
mally after along downhill stretch.
When driving at speeds below 37 mph
(60 km/h), off-road ABS is activated and the
front wheels lock cyclically during braking. The
digging-in effect achieved in the process
reduces the stopping distance on off-road ter-
rain. This limits steering capability.
Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes
Cruise control maintains aconstant road speed
for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed. Change into alower
gear in good time on long and steep downhill
gradients.
This is especiallyi mportant if the vehicle is
laden. By doing so, you will make use of the
braking effect of the engine. This relieves the
load on the brake system and prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain asteady
speed for aprolonged period. You can store any
road speed above 20 mph (30 km/h).
Do not activate cruise control on off-road jour-
neys.
Important safety notes
Cruise control can neither reduce the risk of an
accident if you fail to adapty our driving style nor
override the laws of physics. Cruise control can-
not take into account the road, traffic and
weather conditions. Cruise control is only an
aid. You are responsible for maintaining asafe
distance to the vehicle in front,f or vehicle
speed, for braking in good time and for staying in
lane.
Do not use cruise control:
Rin road and traffic conditions that do not allow
you to maintain aconstant speed, e.g. in heavy traffic, on winding roads or on rough
terrain
Ron slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
Rin poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
snow
If there is achange of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
iThe speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
:Activates or increases speed
;Activates or reduces speed
=Deactivates cruise control
?Activates at the current speed/last stored
speed
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction displayf or
five seconds.
Speedometer with segments: when cruise
control is activated, the segments from the
stored speed to the end of the scale light up.
Storing, maintaining and callingupa
speed
Storing and maintaining the current
speed
You can store the current speed if you are driv-
ing faster than 20 mph (30 km/h).
XAccelerate the vehicle to the desired speed.
XBriefly press the cruise control lever up :or
down ;.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle auto-
matically maintains the stored speed.
Driving systems131
Driving and parking
Z

When towingatrailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristic swill be differentinc omparison
with when driving without atrailer.
The vehicle/trailer combination:
Ris heavier
Ris restricted in its acceleration and gradient-
climbing capability
Rhas an increased braking distance
Ris affected more by stron gcrosswinds
Rdemands more sensitive steering
Rhas alarger turning radius
This could impair the handling characteristics.
Adapt your driving style accordingly. Maintain a
safe distance. Drive carefully.
When towing atrailer, alwaysa djust your speed
to the currentr oad and weather conditions. Do
not exceed the maximum permissible speed for
your vehicle/trailer combination.
Notes on towing atrailer
General notes
RDo not exceed the maximum permissible
speed for vehicle/trailer combinations in the
relevant country.
This lowers the risk of an accident.
ROnly install an approved trailer coupling on
your vehicle.
Further information on availability and on
installation is available from any authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
RThe bumpers of your vehicle are not suitable
for installing detachable trailer couplings.
RDo not install hired trailer couplings or other
detachable trailer couplings on the bumpers
of your vehicle.
RIf you do not need the ball coupling, remove
the ball coupling from the ball coupling
recess. This will reduce the risk of damage to
the ball coupling.
When towing atrailer, set the tire pressure on
the rear axle of the towing vehicle for the max-
imum load. Further information on the tire pres-
sure table in the fuel filler flap (
Ypage 119).
Please not ethat when towing atrailer,
PARKTRONIC (
Ypage 140) and Blind Spot
Assist (Ypage 137) availability is limited or not
available at all. 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" (
Ypage 284).
Driving tips
XObserve the notes on ESP®trailer stabiliza-
tion (Ypage 60).
XOn long and steep downhill gradients ,select
shift range 1,2or 3(Ypage 114) in good time.
This also applies if you have activated cruise
control or the speed limiter.
XIf necessary, shift the transfer case to LOW
RANGE (Ypage 146).
This will use the braking effect of the engine, so that less braking will be required to main-
tain the speed. This relieves the load on the
brake system and preventst he brakes from
overheatin gand wearing too quickly. If you
need additional braking, depress the brake
pedal repeatedly rather than continuously.
The maximum permissible speed for vehicle/
trailer combinations depends on the type of
trailer. Beforeb eginningthe journey, check the
trailer's document stosee what the maximum
permitted speed is. Observe the maximum per-
missible speed in the relevant country.
For certain Mercedes-Benz vehicles, the maxi-
mum permissible rear axle load is increased
when towing atrailer. See the "Technical data"
section to find out whether this applies to your
vehicle (
Ypage 284). In the event of increased
rear axle load, the car/trailer combination may
not exceed amaximum speed of 60 mph
(100 km/ h)for reasons concerning the operat-
ing permit. This als oapplie sinc ountries in
which the maximu mpermissible speedf or car/
trailer combinations is greater than 60 mph
(100 km/h).
When towing atrailer, you rvehicle's handling
characteristics wil lbedifferent in comparison to
when driving without atrailer and it wil lcon-
sume more fuel.
Towing atrailer151
Driving and parking
Z

Drivingtips
RMaintain agreater distanc efromt hevehicle
in fron ttha nw hen drivin gwithout atrailer .
RAvoid braking abruptly. If possible, brake gen -
tl yatf irst to allow th etrailer to run on .Then,
increase th ebraking forc erapidly.
RThe values given fo rgradient-climbin gcapa-
bilities from astandstill refer to sea level.
Whe ndrivin ginm ountainous areas, note that
th ep owe routput of th eenginea nd,conse -
quently, th evehicle' sgradient-climbin gcapa-
bility, decreases wit hincrea sing altitude.
If th etrailer swings from sid etoside:
XDo no taccelerate.
XDo no tcounter-steer .
XBrakeifn ecessary.
Assemblin gthe ball coupling
GWARNING
The ball couplin gcan be damaged if th enut on
th eb all couplin gistightened usin gthe incor-
rec ttorque. As aresult ,the trailer may
detach .There is ariskofana ccident.
Immediately after installing, hav ethe tighten -
in gt orqu ec hecked ataq ualified specialis t
workshop .
!Mercedes-Ben zrecommends that you only
use ball couplings tested and approved fo r
use on Mercedes-Ben zvehicles .Thish elps to
avoid damage to th evehicle.
Observ ethe manufacturer's installation
instruction sifyou use aball couplin gother
than th eonesupplied .
XSlide ball couplin g: through th eholeinb all
couplin gcarrie rbar; to th estop.
XSlide loc kwasher ?onto th ethrea dofb all
couplin g= to th estop.
XScrew on nut Aas far as it will go.
XUsing atorqu ew rench, tighten nut Bwitha
torqu eof516 lb-ft(700 Nm ).
XCheckthatthe lengt hofo verhangin gthrea d
C beneat hnutB is at leas t0.32 in(8 mm) .
XCheckthatthe assembled ball couplin ghas
bee nassembled correctly.
Also observ ethe height of th etrailer couplin g
and th etrailer manufacturer's instructions.
Dependin gontheheight of th etrailer coupling,
it may be necessary to rotate th eball couplin g
by 180° when assemblin gontheball couplin g
carrie rbar.T he assembly process is identical .
Installing theballc oupling
GWARNING
If th eball couplin gisnotinstalled correctl yor
no tsecure dwitht he bolt provided and th e
correspondin gsprin gcotter ,the trailer may
come loose. There is ariskofana ccident.
152Towingatrailer
Driving an dpark ing