2018 MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS air condition

Indicated temperatures just above the freezing
point do not guarantee that the road surface is
free of ice. The road may still be icy, especially in
wooded areas or on bridges. The vehicle could
skid if you fail to adapt your driving style. Always
adapt your driving style and drive at a speed to
suit the prevailing weather conditions.
You should pay special attention to road condi-
tions when temperatures are around freezing
point.
For more information on driving with snow
chains, see (
Ypage 259).
For more information on driving with summer
tires, see (
Ypage 259).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation" sec-
tion (
Ypage 258).
Off-road driving
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you drive on a steep incline at an angle or
turn when driving on an incline, the vehicle
could slip sideways, tip and rollover. There is a risk of an accident.
Always drive on a steep incline in the line of
fall (straight up or down) and do not turn the
vehicle.
GWARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with
hot parts of the exhaust system. There is a risk of fire.
When driving off road or on unpaved roads,
check the vehicle's underside regularly. In
particular, remove parts of plants or other
flammable materials which have become
trapped. In the case of damage, contact a
qualified specialist workshop.
!There is a risk of damage to the vehicle if:
Rthe vehicle becomes stuck, e.g. on a high
curb or an unpaved road
Ryou drive too fast over an obstacle, e.g. a
curb, a speed bump or a pothole in the road
Ra heavy object strikes the underbody or
parts of the chassis
In situations like this, the body, the under-
body, chassis parts, wheels or tires could be
damaged without the damage being visible.
Components damaged in this way can unex-
pectedly fail or, in the case of an accident, no
longer withstand the loads they are designed
to.
If the underbody paneling is damaged, com-
bustible materials such as leaves, grass or
twigs can gather between the underbody and
the underbody paneling. If these materials
come in contact with hot parts of the exhaust system, they can catch fire.
In such situations, have the vehicle checked
and repaired immediately at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. If on continuing your jour-
ney you notice that driving safety is impaired,
pull over and stop the vehicle immediately,
paying attention to road and traffic condi-
tions. In such cases, consult a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
When driving off-road, substances such as sand, mud and water or water mixed with oil may get
into the brakes. This may lead to a reduction in
braking performance or total brake failure as a
result of increased wear. The braking charac-
teristics change depending on the material
entering the brakes. Clean the brakes after driv-
ing off-road. If you detect a reduced braking
effect or grinding noises, ha

ve the brake system
checked in a qualified specialist workshop as
soon as possible. Adapt your driving style to the
different braking characteristics.
Driving off-road increases the likelihood of dam-
age to the vehicle, which, in turn, can lead to
failure of the mechanical assembly or systems.
Adapt your driving style to suit the terrain con-
ditions. Drive carefully. Have damage to the
vehicle rectified immediately at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Do not shift into transmission position iwhen
driving off-road. You could lose control of the
vehicle if you attempt to brake the vehicle using
the service brake. If the gradient is too steep for your vehicle, drive back down in reverse gear.
Driving tips129
Driving and parking
Z

Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS:
Rin road and traffic conditions that do not allow
you to maintain a constant speed, e.g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads
Ron slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating can cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
Rwhen there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow vehi-
cles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or vehi-
cles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can be
impaired if:
Rthere is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
Rthere is snow or heavy rain
Rthere is interference by other radar sources
Rthere are strong radar reflections, for exam-
ple, in parking garages
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehicle
in front, DISTRONIC PLUS may unexpectedly
accelerate the vehicle to the stored speed.
This speed may:
Rbe too high if you are driving in a filter lane or an exit lane
Rbe so high in the right lane that you pass vehi-cles driving on the left (left-hand drive coun-
tries)
Rbe so high in the left lane that you pass vehi-
cles driving on the right (right-hand drive
countries)
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
:Activates or increases speed
;Activates or reduces speed
=Deactivates DISTRONIC PLUS
?Activates at the current speed/last stored
speed
ASets a specified minimum distance
When you activate DISTRONIC PLUS, the stored
speed appears in the multifunction display for
five seconds.
Speedometer with segments: when
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, the segments
from the stored speed to the end of the scale
light up.
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS
Activation conditions
In order to activate DISTRONIC PLUS, the fol-
lowing conditions must be fulfilled:
Rthe engine must be started. It may take up to
two minutes after pulling away before
DISTRONIC PLUS is operational.
Rthe parking brake must be released.
Rthe differential lock must be disengaged.
RESP®must be active, but not intervening.
Rthe automatic transmission is in position h.
Rthe driver's door must be closed or your seat
belt must be fastened when you shift the
transmission from positionjtoh.
Rthe front-passenger door and rear doors must
be closed.
Rthe vehicle must not slide.
Rthe transfer case must in the HIGH RANGE
on-road position.
Rthe vehicle must not be on an uphill or down-
hill gradient of more than 22‑25%.
Activating
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?, up :or down ;.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
The vehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the desired
stored speed.
If you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONIC PLUS Passive
mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display. The set distance to a slower-moving vehicle in
front will then not be maintained. You will be
driving at the speed you determine by the
position of the accelerator pedal.
136Driving system s
Driving an d parking

Differential locks
General notes
GWARNING
Whe nth edifferential locks are engaged, ABS,
4ETS ,ES P
®and BA Sare deactivated. As a
result ,th ewheels could loc kwhen braking
and th ebraking distanc eis increased. There is
a ris kof an accident.
Disengage th edifferential locks immediately
on fir msurfaces wit hgoo dgrip.
!In order to avoid damage to th etransfe r
case, you mus toperat eth evehicle on adyna-
mometer (1-axl edynamometer) only if:
Rth eaxl eno tdriven on is jacked up
or
Rth ecorrespondin gpropeller shaft is dis -
connecte dand th etransfe rcas edifferen -
tial loc kis engaged.
Differential locks improve th etraction of th e
vehicle.
Your vehicle is equipped wit h adifferential loc k
eac hfor:
Rth etransfe rcase: this controls th ebalance
between th efron tand rea raxles.
Rth erea raxle: this controls th ebalance
between th ewheels on th erea raxle.
Rth efron taxle: this controls th ebalance
between th ewheels on th efron taxle.
Information on differential gea rsyste m
an ddifferential lock
Whe nth evehicle drives around acurve, th e
wheels on th eoutsid eof th ecurve mus tcover a
greater distance. Therefore, th ewheels turn
more rapidly than on th einside. The differential,
a gear syste min th edrive train ,allow sfo rdif -
ferin grotational speeds and facilitates corner-
ing.
The disadvantage of adifferential is that th e
wheels that hav eth eleas tgrip, get th emost
drive. Fo rexample, awhee lon adrive axl elies
on snow-covered groun dand therefore has no
traction .The differential sends most of th edrive
forc eto this whee lbecause th eforc etake sth e
rout eof th elowest resistance. The opposite
whee lon this axle, however, whic hstand son
fir m groun dand could therefore allow propul- sion, receives no drivin
gpower. 4ETS compen-
sates fo rthis disadvantage. 4ETS provides goo d
steerability by automatically braking th espin-
ning wheel. 4ETS provides th ewhee lon th efir m
surfac ewit hmore drive force, whic hin turn pro -
vides propulsion .
ES P
®and 4ETS are traction systems that are
idea lfo rroad drivin gand suitable fo rligh toff-
road driving. The LOW RANGEoff-road g
ear
also improves off-road capability.
Mor echallengin goff-road condition srequire
additional measures suc has locking on eor
more differential.
Your vehicle is equipped wit hthree differential
locks :
Rforth etransfe rcas e
Rforth efron taxl e
Rforth erea raxl e
Each differential loc kcan be engage dwit hth e
correspondin gswitch on th ecenter console. If
th edifferential in th etransfe rcas eis locked, th e
fron tand rea rwheels rotate at th esam espeed.
If th edifferential fo rth erea raxl eis locked, bot h
rea rwheels rotate at th esam espeed, regard -
les sof their respective torque. Note, engaging
th edifferential loc kgreatly impairs th evehicle' s
steerability.
Note, it is imperative to use th edifferential func-
tion when drivin gon fir mroad surfaces. Under
no circumstances should th edifferential be
locke dwhen drivin gon fir mroad surfaces. Oth-
erwise ,th evehicle may no tbe steerable and you
could los econtro lof th evehicle. Therefore, only
engage th edifferential loc kwhen drivin goff-
road. You should only engage th edifferential
loc kif act ivati
n
g4ETS and ES P®drivingsystems
and LOW RANGE off-road gear prove to be
insufficient.
Engaging th edifferential lock s
General notes
The switches are located on th ecenter console.
Off-road driving systems15 1
Driving an d parking
Z

Disengaging thedifferential lock s
You can disengage th edifferential locks in th e
followin gorder :; ,? ,= .
XTo simultaneously disengage all differen-
tial locks: press switch =.
Yellow activation indicator lamp sA and red
function indicator lamp s: go out .
Afte rapproximately three seconds of normal
driving, ABS, 4ETS ,ES P
®and BA Sare activa-
ted.
The Differential Locks Active ABS
and ESP Not Availablemessag edisap-
pear sin th emultifunction display and th e
å!÷warning lamps in the instru-
ment cluster go out.
XShift the transfer case to the HIGH RANGE
on-road position (Ypage 149).
If red function indicator lamps :do not go out
when disengaging the differential locks, stop
the vehicle safely in accordance with the traffic
conditions and then drive on. The load change
can disengage the differential locks.
Towing a trailer
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When the vehicle/trailer combination begins
to lurch, you could lose control of it. The vehi- cle/trailer combination could even rollover.
There is a risk of an accident.
On no account should you attempt to
straighten up the vehicle/trailer combination
by increasing the speed. Reduce vehicle
speed and do not countersteer. Apply the
brake as necessary.
GWARNING
If you install a ball coupling other than the one
delivered with the vehicle, the trailer tow hitch
and the rear axle may be overloaded. This
applies especially if the ball coupling in ques-
tion is longer or angled differently. This could
seriously impair the driving characteristics
and the trailer can come loose. There is a risk
of an accident.
Only install the ball coupling delivered with
the vehicle or a ball coupling that is designed to meet your trailer towing requirements. Do
not modify the ball coupling or the trailer tow
hitch.
GWARNING
If the ball coupling is not installed correctly or not secured with the bolt provided and the
corresponding spring cotter, the trailer may
come loose. There is a risk of an accident.
Always install and secure the ball coupling as
described. Before every journey, ensure that
the ball coupling is secured with the bolt and
the corresponding spring cotter.
!If you have a trailer tow hitch retrofitted,
changes to the engine cooling system may be
necessary, depending on the vehicle type.
If you have a trailer tow hitch retrofitted,
observe the anchorage points on the chassis
frame.
The installation of a trailer tow hitch is only per-
missible if a towing weight is specified in your
vehicle documents. If this is not the case, then
the vehicle is not approved for the towing of a
trailer.
For more information, please contact a qualified
specialist workshop.
Please observe the manufacturer's operating
instructions for the trailer coupling if a detach-
able trailer coupling is used.
Exceeding the maximum permissible nose-
weight of the trailer drawbar on the ball coupling may cause damage.
Damage may be caused to the following:
RTowing vehicle
RTrailer
RBall coupling
RTrailer tow hitch
The vehicle/trailer combination could become
unstable.
If the noseweight used is lower than the mini-
mum permissible noseweight, the vehicle/
trailer combination could also become unstable.
Towing a trailer153
Driving and parking
Z

To avoid hazardous situations:
Rmake sure to check the noseweight before
each journey
Ruse a drawbar noseweight as close as possi-
ble to the maximum noseweight
Rdo not exceed the maximum permissible
noseweight
Rthe noseweight must not be lower than the
minimum permissible noseweight
Make sure that the following values are not
exceeded:
Rthe permissible trailer drawbar noseweight
Rthe permissible trailer load
Rthe permissible rear axle load of the towing
vehicle
Rthe maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight of both the towing vehicle and the
trailer
When backing up the vehicle towards the trailer,
make sure there is nobody between the trailer
and the vehicle.
The applicable permissible values, which must
not be exceeded, can be found:
Rin your vehicle documents
Ron the type plate for the trailer
Ron the vehicle identification plate
If the values differ, the lowest value applies.
You will find the values approved by the manu-
facturer on the vehicle identification plates and
those for the towing vehicle under "Technical
data" (
Ypage 291).
When backing up the vehicle towards the trailer,
make sure there is nobody between the trailer
and the vehicle.
Couple and uncouple the trailer carefully. If you
do not couple the trailer to the towing vehicle
correctly, the trailer could become detached.
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different in comparison
with when driving without a trailer.
The vehicle/trailer combination:
Ris heavier
Ris restricted in its acceleration and gradient-
climbing capability
Rhas an increased braking distance
Ris affected more by strong crosswinds
Rdemands more sensitive steering
Rhas a larger turning radius This could impair the handling characteristics.
Adapt your driving style accordingly. Maintain a
safe distance. Drive carefully.
When towing a trailer, always adjust your speed
to the current road and weather conditions. Do
not exceed the maximum permissible speed for
your vehicle/trailer combination.
Notes on towing a trailer
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 a trailer, 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 120).
Please note that when towing a trailer,
PARKTRONIC (
Ypage 143) and Blind Spot
Assist (Ypage 140) availability is limited or not
available at all.
The height of the ball coupling changes with the
load of the vehicle. If necessary, use a trailer
with a height-adjustable drawbar.
You will find permissible trailer loads under
"Technical data" (
Ypage 291).
Driving tips
XObserve the notes on ESP®trailer stabiliza-
tion (Ypage 61).
XOn long and steep downhill gradients, select
shift range 1,2or 3(Ypage 116) in good
time.
154Towing a trailer
Driving and parking

Towing a trailer
There are several legal requirements for towing
a trailer, e.g. the maximum permissible speed.
Make sure that your car/trailer combination
complies with the local regulations:
Rin your place of residence
Rat your destination
The police and local authorities can provide reli- able information.
In order to accumulate driving experience and
accustom yourself to the new handling charac-
teristics, practice the following at a location
where there is no traffic:
RCornering
RStopping
RBacking up
Before driving, check the following:
RTrailer tow hitch
RSafety switch for braked trailers
RSafety chains
RElectrical connections
RLighting system
RWheels and tires
RLoad-securing measures
Adjust the exterior mirrors to provide an unob-
structed view of the rear section of the trailer.
Trailers with electronically controlled
brakes: pull away carefully in the vehicle/trailer
combination, brake manually using the brake
controller and check whether the brakes func-
tion correctly.
Check the load securing measures on a regular
basis.
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different in comparison
with when driving without a tra
iler.
The vehicle/trailer combination:
Ris heavier
Ris restricted in its acceleration and gradient-
climbing capability
Rhas an increased braking distance
Ris affected more by strong crosswinds
Rdemands more sensitive steering
Rhas a larger turning radius
Avoid sudden steering movements.
Avoid braking abruptly. If possible, brake gently
at first to allow the trailer to run on. Then,
increase the braking force rapidly. When overtaking, pay particular attention to the
extended length of your vehicle/trailer combi-
nation.
Due to the length of the vehicle/trailer combi-
nation, you require additional road space when
overtaking before you can change back to the
original lane.
If the automatic transmission repeatedly shifts
between gears on uphill or downhill gradients,
shift to a lower gear.
Driving in a lower gear and at a reduced speed
decreases the risk of engine damage.
Avoid constant braking. Otherwise, the vehicle
brakes and possibly also the trailer brakes may
overheat.
When driving downhill, shift to a lower gear to
utilize the engine's braking effect.
If the coolant temperature increases dramati-
cally while the air-conditioni ng s
ystem is
switched on, switch off the air-conditioning sys- tem.
Coolant heat can also be dissipated by opening
the windows and switching the ventilation
blower and the interior temperature to the high-
est level.
Decoupling a trailer
GWARNING
If you uncouple a trailer with the overrun
brake engaged, you could trap your hand
between the vehicle and the trailer drawbar.
There is a risk of injury.
Do not uncouple a trailer if the overrun brake
is engaged.
!Do not disconnect a trailer with an engaged
overrun brake. Otherwise, your vehicle could
be damaged by the rebounding of the overrun
brake.
XApply the parking brake.
XMake sure that the automatic transmission is
set to position P.
XSecure the vehicle and trailer against rolling
away.
XClose all doors, including the rear door.
XRemove the trailer cable.
XRemove the safety chains, if there are any.
XUncouple the trailer.
158Towing a trailer
Driving an d parking

Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you operate information systems and com-
munication equipmen tintegrate din th evehi-
cle when driving ,you may be distracte dfrom
th etraffic situation .You could also lose con-
trol of th evehicle. Ther eis aris kof an acci-
dent.
Only operate this equipmen twhen th etraffic
situation permits. If you are no tsur ethat this
is possible ,park th evehicl epayin gattention
to traffic condition sand operate th eequip-
men twhen th evehicl eis stationary.
You must observ eth elegal requirements for th e
country in whic hyou are currentl ydriving when
operating th eon-board computer.
GWARNIN G
If th einstrumen tcluste rhas faile dor mal-
functioned, you may no trecognize function
restriction sin systems relevan tto safety. The
operating safet yof your vehicl emay be
impaired .Ther eis aris kof an accident.
Drive on carefully. Hav eth evehicl echecke d
at aqualified specialist workshop immedi-
ately.
If th eoperating safet yof your vehicl eis
impaired ,pull ove ras soo nas it is saf eto do so.
Contac t aqualified specialist workshop.
The on-board computer only shows message sor
warning sfrom certain systems in th emultifunc-
tion display. You should therefor emak esur e
your vehicl eis operating safely at all times .
Fo ran overview, see th einstrumen tpanel illus-
tration (
Ypage 32).
Displays and operation
Instrument cluster lighting
The brightness control knob is locate don th e
botto mleftof th einstrumen tcluste r
(
Ypage 32).
XTurn th ebrightness control knob clockwise or
counter-clockwise.
If th eligh tswitch is set to th eÃ, Tor
L position ,th ebrightness is dependen t
upon th ebrightness of th eambien tlight.
iThe ligh tsensor in th einstrumen tcluste r
automatically control sth ebrightness of th e
multifunction display.
In daylight, th edisplays in th einstrumen t
cluste rare no tilluminated.
Speedometer with segments
The segments in th espeedometer indicat e
whic hspee drange is available.
RCruis econtrol activated (Ypage 133):
The segments ligh tup from th estore dspee d
to th een dof th escale.
RDISTRONI CPLU Sactivated (Ypage 136):
On eor two segments in th eset spee drange
ligh tup.
RDISTRONI CPLU Sdetects avehicl ein front:
The segments between th espee dof th evehi-
cle in fron tand th estore dspee dligh tup.
Tachometer
!
Do no tdriv ein th eoverrevving range, as this
could damag eth eengine.
The red ban din th etachometer indicates th e
engine's overrevving range.
The fuel suppl yis interrupted to protect th e
engin ewhen th ered ban dis reached.
Outside temperature display
You should pay special attention to road condi-
tion swhen temperatures are aroun dfreezing
point.
Bea rin min dthat th eoutside temperature dis-
play indicates th etemperature measured and
does no trecord th eroad temperature.
The outside temperature display is in th emulti-
function display (
Ypage 162).
Changes in th eoutside temperature are dis-
played after ashort delay.
160Displays and operation
On-board computer and displays

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
$(USAonly)
J(Canada only)
Check Brake Fluid
Level
There is no tenough brak eflui din th ebrak efluid reservoir .
In addition ,th e$ (USAonly)/ J(Canada only) warning lamp
lights up in th einstrumen tcluste rand awarning tone sounds.
GWARNIN G
The braking effec tmay be impaired.
There is aris kof an accident.
XPull ove rand stop th evehicl esafely as soo nas possible, payin g
attention to roa dand traffic conditions. Do no tcontinu edrivin g
under any circumstances.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 122).
XConsult aqualified specialist workshop .
XDo notadd brak efluid .This does no tcorrec tth emalfunction .
#
CheckBrakePadWear
The brak epads/linings hav ereached their wear limit.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
G
Inoperative
USA only:on eor mor emain function sof th embrace system are mal-
functioning .
XVisitaqualified specialist workshop .
6
SRSMalfunctionSer‐viceRequired
The restrain tsystem is malfunctioning .The 6 warning lamp also
lights up in th einstrumen tcluster.
GWARNIN G
The air bags or Emergency Tensioning Devices may either be triggered
unintentionally or, in th eevent of an accident, may no tbe triggered .
There is an increased ris kof injury.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
Fo rfurther information about th erestrain tsystem, see (
Ypage 38).
6
Front Lef tMalfunc‐tio nServic eRequiredorFrontRight MalfunctionServic eRequired
The restrain tsystem has malfunctioned at th efron ton th elef tor right .
The 6 warning lamp also lights up in th einstrumen tcluster.
GWARNIN G
The air bags or Emergency Tensioning Devices may either be triggered
unintentionally or, in th eevent of an accident, may no tbe triggered .
There is an increased ris kof injury.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
Display messages177
On-board computer and displays
Z