2018 MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS SUV Owners Manual

Fu
nctions of Desert-ESP ®&
WARNING Risk of accident in drive pro‐
gram Dese rtdue torestricted function of
th e ESP ®
Not all functions of the ESP ®
are available in
th e Desert drive program, e.g. thest abilisa‐
tion function is deactivated, among others.
The wheels can lock while braking and the
braking dis tance is increased.
Only use the Desert driving prog ram on sand
and not on public roads. %
The availability of the Desert drive program
is count ry-dependent.
Dese rt-ESP ®
is au tomatical lyactivated when you
select the Desert drive program with the
DY NA MIC SELECT switch (/ page151).
Characteris tics of Desert-ESP ®
:
R specially adap tedfo r driving on a sandy sur‐
fa ce
R impr oved traction Ac
tivating/deactivating ESP ®
(Electronic Sta‐
bility Prog ram) #
Todeactivate ESP ®
:press button 1until
th eå ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up in
th e instrument clus ter.The ÷ OFFmes‐
sage appears in the multifunction displa y. #
Toactivate ESP ®
:briefly press button 1.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument clus ter goes out.
Obser vethe information on warning lamps and
display messages which may be shown in the
instrument clus ter. Fu
nction of ESP ®
trailer stabilisation &
WARNING Risk of accident in poor road
and weather conditions
In poor road and weather conditions, the
trailer stabilisation cannot pr event lu rching of
th eve hicle/trailer combination. Trailers with
a high centre of gr avity may tip over before
ESP ®
de tects this. #
Alw ays adapt your driving style to suit
th e cur rent road and weather condi‐
tions. 18 2
Driving and pa rking

When driving with a trailer, ESP
®
can stabilise
yo ur vehicle if the trailer begins toswer vefrom
side toside:
R ESP ®
trailer stabilisation is active abo ve
speeds of 65 km/h.
R Slight swerving is reduced bymeans of a tar‐
ge ted, individual brake application on one
side.
R Intheeve nt of se vere swerving, the engine
output is also reduced and all wheels are
braked.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation may be impaired or
may not function if:
R The trailer is not connec ted cor rectly or is
not de tected prope rly by theve hicle. Fu
nction of EBD (Electronic Brake forc e Dis‐
tribution) EBD is
characterised bythefo llowing:
R Monitoring and regulating the brake pressure
on there ar wheels. R
Impr oved driving stability when braking,
especially on bends. Fu
nction of Active Brake Assi st Ac
tive Brake Assi stconsi sts of:
R Distance warning function
R Autonomous braking function
R Situation-dependent braking assi stance
Ac tive Brake Assi stcan help youto minimise the
ri sk of a collision with vehicles, cyclists or
pedestrians, or reduce the ef fects of su cha colli‐
sion.
If Ac tive Brake Assi sthas de tected a risk of colli‐
sion, a warning tone sounds and theL dis‐
ta nce warning lamp lights up in the instrument
clus ter.
If yo u do not react tothe visual or acoustic warn‐
ing, autonomous braking can be initiated in criti‐
cal situations.
In especially critical situations, Active Brake
Assi stcan initia teautonomous braking direct ly.
In this case, thewa rning lamp and warning tone occur simultaneously wi
th the braking applica‐
tion.
If yo u apply the brake yourself in a situation
de tected as critical byActive Brake Assi st, or
apply the brake during autonomous braking, sit‐
uation-dependent braking assis tance occu rs.
The brake pressure increases up tomaximum
full-s top braking if necessar y.
If th e autonomous braking function or the situa‐
tion-dependent braking assis tance is trig gered,
additional pr eventive measu resfo r occupant
pr otection (PRE-SAFE ®
) may also be initiated, if
th eve hicle is equipped with these. &
WARNING Risk of an accident caused by
limited de tection per form ance of Active
Brake Assi st
Ac tive Brake Assi stcannot al ways clearly
identify objects and compl extraf fic situa‐
tions.
In su chcases, Active Brake Assi stmight:
R Give a warning or brake without reason Driving and parking
18 3

R
Not give a warning or not brake #
Alw ays pay careful attention tothe traf‐
fi c situation; do not rely on Active Brake
Assi stalone. Active Brake Assi stis only
an aid. The driver is responsible for
maintaining a suita ble distance tothe
ve hicle in front, vehicle speed and for
braking in good time. #
Be prepared tobrake or swer veif nec‐
essar y. Obser
vethe sy stem limitations of Active Brake
Assi st.
The individual subfunctions are available in
th efo llowing speed ranges:
Distance warning function
The dis tance warning function issues a warning
at speeds:
R From appr oximately 30 km/h, if over se veral
seconds the dis tance maintained totheve hi‐
cle tr avelling in front is insuf ficient forthe
driven speed. The Ldistance warning
lamp then lights up in the instrument clus ter. R
From appr oximately 7 km/h, if your vehicle
is critically close toave hicle or pedestrian.
An intermittent warning tone sounds and the
L distance warning lamp lights up in the
instrument clus ter.
Brake immediately or take evasive action, pr ovi‐
ded it is safe todo so and the traf fic situation
allo wsthis.
The distance warning function can aid you in
th efo llowing situations with an intermit tent
wa rning tone and a warning lamp:
Ve hicles tr avelling in
front Up
toappr ox.
250 km/h
St ationary vehicles Uptoappr ox.
80 km/h
Crossing vehicles Noreaction
Moving pedestrians Uptoappr ox.
80 km/h
St ationary pedes‐
trians No
reaction Au
tonomous braking function
If th eve hicle is tr avelling at speeds abo ve
appr oxima tely 7 km/h, the autonomous
braking function may inter vene in thefo llow‐
ing situations:
Ve hicles tr avelling in
front Up
toappr ox.
200 km/h
St ationary vehicles Uptoappr ox.
50 km/h
Crossing vehicles No reaction
Moving pedestrians Uptoappr ox.
60 km/h
St ationary pedes‐
trians No
reaction 184
Driving and pa rking

Situation-dependent braking assistance
Situation-dependent braking assistance may
inter vene at speeds abo veappr oxima tely
7 km/h in thefo llowing situations:
Ve hicles tr avelling in
front Up
toappr ox.
250 km/h
St ationary vehicles Uptoappr ox.
80 km/h
Crossing vehicles No reaction
Moving pedestrians Uptoappr ox.
60 km/h
St ationary pedes‐
trians No
reaction Cancelling a brake application of
Active
Brake Assi st
Yo u can cancel a brake application byActive
Brake Assi stat any time by:
R Fully depressing the accelerator pedal or
with kickdown.
R Releasing the brake pedal. Ac
tive Brake Assi stmay cancel the brake appli‐
cation when one of thefo llowing conditions is
fulfilled:
R You manoeuv retoavoid the obs tacle.
R The reis no longer a risk of collision.
R An obs tacle is no longer de tected in front of
yo ur vehicle.
Sy stem limitations
The sy stem may be impaired or may not function
in thefo llowing situations:
R In sno w,rain, fog, heavy spr ay, if there is
gl are, in direct sunlight or in great lyvarying
light conditions.
R Ifth e sensors are dirty, mis ted up, damaged
or co vered.
R Ifth e sensors are impaired due tointer fer‐
ence from other radar sources, e.g. strong
ra dar reflections in multi-s torey car par ks.
R If a loss of tyre pressure or a defective tyre
has been de tected and displ ayed. R
Full sy stem per form ance is not available for a
fe w seconds af ter switching on the ignition
or af ter driving off.
R In complex traf fic situations whe reobjects
cannot always be clearly identified.
R For pede strians or vehicles if they mo ve
qu ickly into the sensor de tection range.
R For pede strians who are hidden by other
objects.
R Ifth e typical outline of a pedestrian cann ot
be distinguished from the bac kground.
R If a pedestrian is not de tected as su ch, e.g.
due tospecial clo thing or other objects.
R On bends with a tight radius. Setting
Active Brake Assi st Multimedia sy
stem:
4 Vehicle 5
k Assistance
5 Active Brake Assist
The following settings are available:
R Early
R Medium Driving and parking
18 5

R
Late #
Select a setting.
% Your selection is retained when theve hicle is
next star ted.
Deactivating Active Brake Assi st
% It is recommended that you alw ays lea ve
Ac tive Brake Assi stactivated. #
Select Off.
The dis tance warning function and the auton‐
omous braking function are deactivated.
When theve hicle is next star ted, theMedium
setting is automatically selected.
% IfAc tive Brake Assi stis deactivated, the
æ symbol appears inthest atus bar of the
multifunction displa y.Fu
nction of Adaptive Brake Lights Ad
aptive Brake Lights warnfollowing traf fic in an
emergency braking situation wi th thefo llowing
actions:
R Byflashing the brake lamps R
By activating the hazard warning lights
If th eve hicle is braked sharply from speeds
abo ve50 km/h, the brake lamps flash rapidl y.
This pr ovides traf fic tr avelling behind you with an
ev en more noticeable warning.
If th eve hicle is tr avelling at speeds of more than
70 km/h at the beginning of the brake applica‐
tion, the hazard warning lights switch on once
th eve hicle is stationar y.When you pull away
again, the hazard warning lights will switch off
automatically at appr oximately 10km/h. Yo u
can also switch off the hazard warning lights
using the hazard warning button. Cruise control and limiter
Fu
nction of cruise control
Cruise cont rolre gulates the speed totheva lue
selec tedby the driver.
If yo u accelerate toove rtake, forex ample, the
st ored speed is not dele ted. If youre mo veyour
fo ot from the accelera tor pedal af terov ertak ing,
cruise control will resume speed regulation back
to thestored speed. Cruise contro
l is operated using the cor respond‐
ing steering wheel buttons. You can store any
speed abo ve20 km/h up tothe maximum speed
or up tothe set winter tyre limit.
If yo ufa ilto adapt your driving style, cruise con‐
trol can neither reduce therisk of an accident
nor override the la wsof ph ysics. It cannot take
into account road, weather or traf fic conditions.
Cruise control is only an aid. You are responsible
fo r maintaining a safe dis tance totheve hicle in
front, forve hicle speed, for braking in good time
and forst ay ing in lane.
Displa yson the multifunction display
The status of cruise control and thestored
speed are shown in the multifunction displa y.18 6
Driving and pa rking

1
Cruise cont rol is selec ted
2 Speed is sa ved, cruise control is deactivated
3 Speed is sa ved, cruise control is activated
% The segments extending from the cur rent
st ored speed tothe end of the scale, or to
th e set winter tyre limit, light up in the
speedome ter.
Sy stem limitations
Cruise control may be unable tomaintain the
st ored speed on uphill gradients. The stored
speed is resumed when the gradient evens out.
Change into a lo werge ar in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. Take particular no
te ofthis when driving a laden vehicle. By
doing so, you will make use of the engine's brak‐
ing ef fect. This relie vesth e load on the brake
sy stem and pr events the brakes from overheat‐
ing and wearing tooqu ickl y.
Do not use cruise control in thefo llowing situa‐
tions:
R In traf fic situations whi chrequ ire frequent
ch anges of speed, e.g. in heavy traf fic, on
winding roads.
R On slippe ryroads. Accelerating can cause
th e drive wheels tolose traction and the
ve hicle could then skid.
R Ifyo u are driving when visibility is poor.
Fu nction of the limi ter
The limiter restricts the speed of theve hicle. To
re duce the speed tothe set speed, the limiter
applies the brakes automaticall y.
Yo u can limit the speed as follo ws:
R Variable: for speed limits, e.g. in built-up
areas.
R Perm anen t:for long-term speed restrictions,
e.g. when driving in winter tyre mode. The
variable limiter is operated using the cor re‐
sponding steering wheel buttons. You can store
any speed abo ve20 km/h up tothe maximum
speed or up tothe set winter tyre limit. You can
also per form settings while theve hicle is station‐
ary if theve hicle has been star ted.
If yo ufa ilto adapt your driving style, the limiter
can neither reduce therisk of an accident nor
ov erride the la wsof ph ysics. It cannot take into
account road, weather or traf fic conditions. The
limiter is only an aid. You are responsible for
maintaining a safe dis tance totheve hicle in
front, forve hicle speed, for braking in good time
and forst ay ing in lane.
Displa ysinthe instrument display
The status of the limiter and thestored speed
are shown in the multifunction displa y. Driving and pa
rking 187

1
Limiter is selected
2 Speed is stored, limiter is deactivated
3 Speed is stored, limiter is activated
% The segments in the speedome ter light up,
up tothe cur rently stored speed.
% When the driving speed is greater than the
st ored speed, display 3flashes.
Kickd own
If yo u depress the accelerator pedal be yond the
pressure point (kickdown), the limiter switches
to passive mode. The Limiter passivemessage
appears in the multifunction displa y.Af
ter completion of kickdown, theva riable lim‐
iter is activated again in thefo llowing situations:
R Ifth e driven speed drops below thestored
speed.
R Ifth estored speed is called up.
R Ifyo ustore a new speed.
Operating cruise control or theva riable lim‐
iter &
WARNING Risk of accident due tostored
speed
If yo u call up thestored speed and this is
lo we rth an your cur rent speed, theve hicle
decelerates. #
Take into account the tra ffic situation
before calling up thestored speed. Re
quirements:
Cruise control
R Cruise control is selected.
R ESP ®
must be activated, but not inter vening.
R The driven speed is at least 20 km/h. R
The transmission is in position h.
Va riable limiter:
R The vehicle has been star ted.
R The variable limiter is selec ted.
Switching between cruise control and the
va riable limi ter 18 8
Driving and pa rking

#
Toselect cruise control: pressrocker
switch 1up. #
Toselect theva riable limi ter: press rocker
switch 1down.
% Vehicles with Active Dis tance Assi st
DISTRONIC: theva riable limiter is selec ted
by a dif fere nt button (/ page 191).
Ac tivating cruise control or the variable lim‐
iter #
Press rocker switch 2up (SET/+) or down
(SET/-).
The cur rent speed is stored and maintained
by theve hicle (cruise contro l) or limited (vari‐
able limiter) when you take your foot off the
accelerator pedal.
or #
Press rocker switch 3up (RES).
The last stored speed is called up and the
ve hicle maintains this speed (cruise control)
or does not exceed it (limiter).
If th e last stored speed has pr eviously been
dele ted, the cur rently driven speed is stored. %
When you swit choff theve hicle, the last
speed stored is cleared.
When you activate cruise cont rol or Active
Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC, the last speed
st ored forth eva riable limiter is cleared.
Increasing/decreasing thesto red speed #
Press rocker switch 2up/down tothe pres‐
sure point.
The stored speed is increased or reduced by
1 km/h.
or #
Press and hold rocker switch 2up/down to
th e pressure point.
The stored speed is increased or reduced in
increments of 1 km/h.
or #
Press rocker switch 2beyond the pressure
point.
The stored speed is increased or reduced by
10 km/h.
or #
Press and hold rocker switch 2beyond the
pressure point.
The stored speed is increased or reduced in
increments of 10km/h.
or #
Accelerate theve hicle tothe desired speed. #
Press rocker switch 2up.
Ad opting the de tected speed
If cruise control/ variable limiter is activated and
Tr af fic Sign Assi sthas de tected a speed restric‐
tion sign wi tha maximum permissible speed and
th is is displa yed in the instrument clus ter: #
Press rocker switch 3up.
The maximum permissible speed shown by
th e traf fic sign is stored and theve hicle
maintains or does not exceed this speed.
Deactivating cruise control or theva riable
limi ter #
Press rocker switch 3down (CNCL).
% Ifyo u brake, deactivate ESP ®
or if ESP ®
inter venes, cruise control is deacti vated. The
va riable limiter is not deactivated. Driving and parking
18 9