2018 MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS Owner's Manual

ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The coolant temperature
gauge is in the area
marked in red behind the
H. A display message
may also appear in the
multifunction display
and a warning tone may
sound.The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine is no
longer being cooled sufficiently.
XStop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant to
cool down.
XCheck the coolant level (Ypage 234). Observe the warning notes
as you do so and add coolant if necessary.
If the coolant level is correct, the radiator fan may be faulty. The cool-
ant is too hot and the engine is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
XIf the coolant temperature is below the Hmarking, drive to the
nearest qualified specialist workshop.
XAvoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving in moun-
tainous terrain and stop-and-go traffic.
Adjustable damping
General notes
With adjustable damping you can choose
between two different suspension settings.
Suspension settings
COMFcomfortable suspension setting
Sportsports suspension setting
Selecting the suspension setting
iIf you select the sports suspension setting,
the vehicle will dampen more roughly.
XPress button :.
The indicator lamp lights up. SPORTis dis-
played in the multifunction display. The sports
suspension setting is activated.
iIf you select the comfortable suspension
setting, the vehicle will dampen more softly.
XPress button ;.
The indicator lamp lights up. COMFis dis-
played in the multifunction display. The com-
fortable suspension setting is activated.
Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is
a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do not simultaneously accelerate.
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
iBear in mind that the power transmission
between the engine and the transmission is
interrupted when the engine is switched off.
Automatic transmission111
Driving and parking
Z

For this reason, shift the automatic transmis-
sion to jwhen the engine is switched off
and the vehicle is stationary. Apply the park-
ing brake to prevent the vehicle from rolling
away.
Selector lever
Overview of transmission positions
!If the engine speed is too high or the vehicle
is in motion, do not shift the automatic trans-
mission directly from htok, from ktoh
or directly to j.
Do not open the driver's door while the vehi-
cle is in motion. At low speeds in transmission
position hork, otherwise park position j
is engaged automatically.
The transmission could be damaged.
:B button: park position with parking lock
kReverse gear
iNeutral
hDrive
When you select a transmission position, the
selector lever subsequently returns to its origi-
nal position.
The current transmission position j,k,ior
h is shown on the transmission position dis-
play on the multifunction display.
Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display
!If the transmission position display in the
multifunction display is not working, you
should pull away carefully to check whether
the desired transmission position is engaged. Select transmission position D. Do not
restrict the shift range.
Current transmission position :and current
drive program ;appear in the multifunction
display.
The current position of the selector lever is
shown by the indicators next to the selector
lever.
The indicators light up when the SmartKey is
inserted into the ignition lock. The indicators go
out when the SmartKey is removed from the
ignition lock.
When the selector lever is in position h, you
can influence the gearshifts made by the auto-
matic transmission by:
Rrestricting the shift range
Rchanging gear yourself
Selecting park position
XMake sure that the vehicle is stationary.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XPress the Bbutton on the center console.
If you depress the brake pedal and push the
selector lever forwards or back to the first point of resistance, park position jis disengaged.
The transmission shifts to neutral i.
Engaging reverse gear
!Only move the automatic transmission to
k when the vehicle is stationary.
XMake sure that the vehicle is stationary.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XPush the selector lever forwards past the first
point of resistance.
The transmission position kis engaged.
If you engage reverse gear and the ECO start/
stop function is activated, the engine starts
automatically (
Ypage 107).
112Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Engaging neutral
GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
Ropen the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
Rget out and disrupt traffic.
Roperate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
RStart the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children.
XMake sure that the vehicle is stationary.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XDepending on the current transmission posi-
tion, press the selector lever forwards or
backwards to the first point of resistance.
The automatic transmission shifts to i.
When the engine is switched off, the automatic
transmission shifts to iautomatically.
If the vehicle is braked to a standstill in neutral
i, the ECO start/stop function switches off
the engine automatically (
Ypage 107).
Remaining in neutral
GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
Ropen the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
Rget out and disrupt traffic.
Roperate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
RStart the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children.
XMake sure that the vehicle is stationary.
XMake sure that the ignition is switched on.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XShift to neutral i.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XMake sure that the parking brake is released.
XSwitch off the ignition and leave the SmartKey
in the ignition lock.
Engaging the drive position
XMake sure that the vehicle is stationary.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XPush the selector lever back past the first
point of resistance.
The automatic transmission shifts to h.
If the vehicle is braked to a standstill with the
transmission in position h, the ECO start/stop
function switches off the engine automatically
(
Ypage 107).
Automatic transmission113
Driving and parking
Z

Transmission positions
BPark position
This prevents the vehicle from rolling
away when stopped.
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion j(
Ypage 112) when the vehi-
cle is stationary. The parking lock
should not be used as a brake when
parking. Always apply the parking
brake in addition to the parking lock
in order to secure the vehicle.
The SmartKey can only be removed if
the transmission is in position j.
When there is no SmartKey in the
ignition lock, the selector lever is
locked in position j.
CReverse gear
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tionkwhen the vehicle is station-
ary.
A!Coasting in neutral imay
cause damage to the drive train.
Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to i
while driving. The automatic trans-
mission could otherwise 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 i.
If you engage the transfer case, shift briefly to i(
Ypage 149).
7Drive
The automatic transmission changes
gear automatically. All forward gears
are available.
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts through the
individual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position h. This automatic gear shift-
ing behavior is determined by:
Ra shift range restriction, if selected
Rthe position of the transfer case ( HIGH
RANGE orLOW RANGE )
Rthe position of the accelerator pedal
Rthe road speed
Driving tips
Accelerator pedal position
Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
Rlittle throttle: early upshifts
Rmore throttle: late upshifts
Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
XDepress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to a lower
gear depending on the engine speed.
XEase off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Kickdown is not available in the permanent man-
ual drive program on Mercedes-AMG vehicles.
Rocking the vehicle free
Rocking free by shifting back and forth between
transmission positions Dand Rcan help to free
the vehicle if it gets stuck. The vehicle's engine
management system limits the speed to a max-
imum of 5 mph (9 km/h) when shifting back and
forth.
Shifting back and forth between transmission
positions Dand R:
XMove the selector lever forwards or back-
wards past the point of resistance.
114Automatic transmission
Driving an d parking

Towing a trailer
XDrive in the middle of the engine speed range
on uphill gradients.
XVehicles except Mercedes‑AMG vehicles:
limit the shift range to 3or 2depending on the
uphill or downhill gradient (
Ypage 116). This
also applies if cruise control, the speed limiter
or DISTRONIC PLUS is activated.
Mercedes ‑AMG vehicles: shift down to shift
range 3or 2depending on the uphill or down-
hill gradient (
Ypage 116). This also applies if
cruise control, the speed limiter or
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated.
XShift the transfer case into low-range driving
position LOW RANGE on extreme uphill gra-
dients or steep downhill gradients
(
Ypage 149).
Program selector button
General notes
The program selector button allows you to
choose between drive programs with different
driving characteristics.
On Mercedes-AMG vehicles, drive program Eis
called drive program C.
The automatic transmission switches to auto-
matic drive program E(drive program Cin
Mercedes-AMG vehicles) each time the engine
is started.
Only change from automatic drive program Cor
S to manual drive program Mwhen the vehicle is
stationary.
Drive programs available for vehicles
except Mercedes-AMG vehicles
E EconomyComfortable, economical
driving
S SportSporty driving style
M ManualManual gear shifting
Drive programs available for
Mercedes ‑AMG vehicles
C Controlled
EfficiencyComfortable, economical
driving
S SportSporty driving style
M ManualManual gear shifting
For further information on the automatic drive
program, see (Ypage 116).
Selecting the drive program
Program selector button (except for
Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Program selector button (Mercedes-AMG
vehicles)
XPress program selector button :repeatedly
until the desired drive program is shown in the
multifunction display.
Automatic transmission115
Driving an d parking
Z

Steering wheel paddle shifters
In the automatic drive program, you can restrict
or derestrict the shift range by using steering
wheel paddle shifters:and ;(
Ypage 116).
In the manual drive program you can change
gears manually using steering wheel paddle
shifters :and ;(
Ypage 117).
You can only change gear with the steering
wheel paddle shifters when the transmission is
in position D.
Automatic drive program
Drive program E(drive program Con Mercedes-
AMG vehicles) is characterized by the following:
Rcomfort-oriented engine and transmission
settings.
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
Rthe vehicle pulls away more gently in forward
and reverse gears, unless the accelerator
pedal is depressed fully.
Rincreased sensitivity. This improves driving
stability on slippery road surfaces, for exam-
ple.
Rthe automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. This results in the vehicle being driven
at lower engine speeds and the wheels being
less likely to spin.
Drive program Sis characterized by the follow-
ing:
Rsporty engine and transmission settings.
Rthe vehicle pulling away in first gear.
Rthe automatic transmission shifts up later.
Rthe fuel consumption possibly being higher as
a result of the later automatic transmission
shift points.
Shift ranges
Introduction
It is not possible to set the shift range on
Mercedes-AMG vehicles.
When the automatic transmission is in position
D, it is possible to restrict or derestrict the shift
range.
The shift range selected is shown in the multi-
function display. The automatic transmission
shifts only as far as the selected gear.
Driving situations
=You can use the engine's braking
effect
5You can use the engine's braking
effect
This setting is particularly suited for
driving:
Ron steep mountain roads
Rin mountainous terrain
Rin arduous conditions
4The braking effect of the engine can
be utilized on extremely steep down-
hill gradients and long downhill
stretches.
Restricting the shift range
XPull the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter (Ypage 116).
The automatic transmission shifts down one
gear and restricts the shift range to the rele-
vant gear.
To protect against engine damage, the auto-
matic transmission:
Rdoes not shift down if doing so would cause
the engine to exceed the maximum engine
speed
Rshifts up, even if the shift range is restricted,
if the maximum engine speed for the shift
range is reached and you continue to accel-
erate
116Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Derestricting theshift range
XPull th eright-hand steerin gwhee lpaddle
shifter (Ypage 116).
The automatic transmissio nshift sup on e
gear and restricts th eshift range to th erele-
van tgear .
Clearing th eshift range restriction
XPull and hol dth eright-hand steerin gwhee l
paddle shifter (Ypage 116) until transmissio n
position Dis shown in th emultifunction dis -
play.
The automatic transmissio nshift sfrom th e
curren tshift range directl yto D.
Selecting th eideal shift range
XPull th eleft-han dsteerin gwhee lpaddle
shifter (Ypage 116) and hol dit in position .
The automatic transmissio nshift sto th egear
whic hallow soptimum acceleration and
deceleration .To do this, th eautomatic trans -
missio nshift sdown on eor more gears.
The automatic transmissio ncanno tshift down
beyond secon dgear .To shift to first gear ,you
hav eto pull th elef tsteerin gwhee lpaddle
shifter.
Manual gea rshifting
Temporar ysetting
XTo activate :shift th eselecto rlever to posi-
tion P.
XPull steerin gwhee lpaddle shifter :or;.
Temporary setting will be active fo r acertain
amount of time. Under certain condition sth e
minimum amount of time is extended, e.g. in th ecas
eof latera lacceleration ,durin gan overrun
phas eor when drivin gon steep terrain .
XTo deactivate:pull steerin gwhee lpaddle
shifter ;and hol dit in place.
or
XUse th elever to switch th etransmissio nposi-
tion .
or
XChange th edrive program.
Shifting gears
!In manual mode, th eautomatic transmis -
sio ndoe sno tshift up automatically eve n
when th eengin elimitin gspeed fo rth ecurren t
gear is reached. Whe nth eengin elimitin g
speed is reached, th efue lsupply is cut to
preven tth eengin efrom overrevving. Always
mak esur ethat th eengin espeed doe sno t
reach th ered are aof th etachometer. There is
otherwise aris kof engin edamage.
XTo shift up :pull steerin gwhee lpaddle
shifter ;.
The automatic transmissio nshift sup to th e
next gear .
XTo shift down: pull steeringwhee lpaddle
shifter :.
The automatic transmissio nshift sdown to
th enext gear .
Automatic down shiftin goccur swhen coast -
ing.
If th eengin eexceeds th emaximum engin e
speed when shiftin gdown ,th eautomatic
transmissio nprotect sagainst engin edamage
by no tshiftin gdown .
Automatic transmission117
Driving and parking
Z

Shift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
XShift to recommended gear;according to
gearshift recommendation :when shown in
the multifunction display of the instrument
cluster.
Manual drive program
General information
In manual drive program M, you can change gear
yourself by using the steering wheel paddle
shifters. The transmission must be in position
h to do this. The gear currently selected and
engaged is shown in the multifunction display.
Manual drive program Mdiffers from drive pro-
grams Cand Swith regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes.
Switching on the manual drive program
XShift the transmission to position h.
XPress the program selector button repeatedly
until drive programMappears in the multi-
function display.
Upshifting
!When the engine limiting speed is reached,
the fuel supply is cut to prevent the engine
from overrevving. Always make sure that the
engine speed does not reach the red area of
the tachometer. There is otherwise a risk of
engine damage.
XWhen gearshift recommendation :appears
on the multifunction display, pull the right-
hand steering wheel paddle shifter
(
Ypage 116).
The automatic transmission shifts to recom-
mended gear ;.
G 500: the automatic transmission shifts up
automatically when the limiting speed of the
engine is reached.
G 350 d in transfer case position HIGH
RANGE: the automatic transmission shifts up
automatically when the limiting speed of the
engine is reached.
G 350 d in transfer case position LOW
RANGE: the automatic transmission does not
shift up automatically when the limiting speed of
the engine is reached.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the automatic trans-
mission does not shift up automatically when
the limiting speed of the engine is reached.
Protection against reaching the over-
revving range (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
!In manual mode, the automatic transmis-
sion does not shift up automatically even
when the engine limiting speed for the current
gear is reached. When the engine limiting
speed is reached, the fuel supply is cut to
prevent the engine from overrevving. Always
make sure that the engine speed does not
reach the red area of the tachometer. There is
otherwise a risk of engine damage.
Before the engine speed reaches the red area,
an upshift indicator will be shown in the multi-
function display.
118Automatic transmission
Driving and parking