MERCEDES-BENZ G500 2008 W463 Workshop Manual

50 Getting started
Driving
Front seat belts and rear outer seat
belts1 Seat belt guide
2 Latch plate
3 Buckle
4 Release button Fastening seat belts and rear outer seat
belts
With a smooth motion, pull the seat
belt out of seat belt guide
1.
Place the shoulder portion of the seat
belt across the top of your shoulder
and the lap portion across your hips.
Push latch plate 2 into buckle 3 until
it clicks.
If necessary, tighten the lap portion to
a snug fit by pulling shoulder portion
up.
Opening seat belts and rear outer seat
belts
Press release button 4.
Allow the retractor to completely
rewind the seat belt by guiding latch
plate 2. Rear center seat belt
Overview
1
Attachment for latch plates
2 Buckle for fixed latch plate
3 Release button for fixed latch plate
4 Fixed latch plate
5 Buckle for free-sliding latch plate
6 Release button for free-sliding latch
plate
7 Free-sliding latch plate
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51
Getting started
Driving
Fastening the rear center seat belt
Pull both latch plates
1 and 2 out of
the attachment (
page 50).
The seat belt has two latch plates:
Plate 1 is fixed at the end of the seat
belt. Latch plate 2 is free-sliding
across the seat belt.
With a smooth motion, pull the seat
belt out of the seat belt outlet.
Push fixed latch plate 1 into
buckle 3 until it clicks.
Guide the seat belt at free-sliding latch
plate 2 across your body.
Place the shoulder portion of the seat
belt across the top of your shoulder
and the lap portion across your hips.
Push free-sliding latch plate 2 into
buckle 4 until it clicks.
If necessary, tighten the lap portion to
a snug fit by pulling shoulder portion
up.
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52 Getting started
Driving
Opening the rear center seat belt
Press release button6 on buckle 5
for the free-sliding latch plate
(
page 50).
Press release button 3 on buckle 2
for the fixed latch plate (
page 50).
Storing the rear center seat belt
Allow the retractor to completely
rewind the rear center seat belt by
guiding latch plate 1 (
page 51).
Guide both latch plates 4 and 7
once after the other into
attachment 1 (
page 50). Seat belt outlet height adjustment
You can adjust the height of the seat belt
guide for the following seats:

Driver’s seat

Front passenger seat

Rear outer seats
Adjust seat belt so that the shoulder
portion is located as close as possible to
the middle of the shoulder (it should not
touch the neck).
1 Release button Raising
Slide the seat belt guide upward in
desired position.
The seat belt guide engages in five
different positions.
Lowering
Pull and hold release button 1.
Slide the seat belt guide downward in
desired position.
Let go of release button 1.
Make sure that the seat belt guide en-
gages into place.
Please comply with the instructions for
“Proper use of seat belts” (
page 53).Warning!G
To help prevent the possibility of injury,
always store the rear center seat belt latch
plates in the attachment when the rear
center seat belt is not in use.
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53
Getting started
Driving
Proper use of seat belts

Do not twist the seat belt when fasten-
ing.

Adjust seat belt so
that the shoulder
portion is located as close as possible
to the middle of the shoulder (it should
not touch the neck). Never pass the
shoulder portion of the seat belt under
your arm. For this purpose, you can
adjust the height of the seat belt guide
(
page 52).

Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips (over hip joint) and not
across the abdomen.

Place the seat backrest on adjustable
seat backrests in a nearly upright
position.

Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time.

Do not fasten a seat belt around a
person and another object at the same
time. When using a seat belt to secure
infant restraints, toddler restraints or
children in booster seats, always follow
the child seat manufacturer’s instruc-
tions.

Check your seat belt periodically
during travel to make sure that it is
properly positioned.

Make sure the seat belt is always fitted
snugly. Take special care of this when
wearing loose clothing.
Warning!G
Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.
Do not allow the seat be lt to get caught in
the door or in the seat adjustment mecha-
nism. This could damage the seat belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to
seat belts. This could impair the effective-
ness of the seat belts.
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash, they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
Damaged seat belts or seat belts that were
highly stressed in an accident must be
replaced. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
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54 Getting started
Driving
Starting the engineAutomatic transmission
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmission
PPark position with gear selector lever
lock
R Reverse gear
N Neutral position
D Drive position
For more information, see “Automatic
transmission” (
page 162). Starting
Make sure the gear selector lever is set
to park position
P.
Do not depress the accelerator.
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position 3 (
page 39) and release it
again immediately. The engine starts
automatically.
For information on turning off the engine,
see “Turning off engine” (
page 64).
Starting difficulties
If the SmartKey is left in starter switch
position 0 for an extended period of time,
it can no longer be turn ed in the switch. In
this case, the steering is locked.
To unlock, remove the SmartKey from
the starter switch and reinsert.
If the engine does not start as described,
carry out the following steps:
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position 0 and repeat the starting
procedure.
Warning!G
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to
your health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide (CO), and inha ling it can cause
unconsciousness and possible death.
Do not run the engine in confined areas
(such as garage) whic h are not properly
ventilated. If you think that exhaust gas
fumes are entering the vehicle while driving,
have the cause determined and corrected
immediately. If you must drive under these
conditions, drive only with at least one
window fully open.
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55
Getting started
Driving
Remember that extended starting
attempts can drain the battery.
Get a jump start (page 397).
If the engine does not start after several
starting attempts, there could be a mal-
function in the engine electronics or in the
fuel supply system.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center or call Roadside
Assistance.
Parking brake 1
Parking brake lever
2 Release buttonPull up slightly on parking brake
lever 1 and press release button 2.
Push parking brake lever 1 down to
its original position.
The brake warning lamp ;
(USA only) or 3 (Canada only) in
the instrument cluster goes out.
Driving off
Depress the brake pedal.
The gear selector lever lock is released.
Move the gear selector lever to drive
position D or reverse gear R.
Release the brake pedal.
Carefully depress the accelerator.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicl e, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Children
could release the parking brake, which
could result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
!In order to avoid damage to the transmis-
sion:

Wait for the gear selection process to com-
plete before setting the vehicle in motion.

Place the gear selector lever in park
position P or reverse gear R only when the
vehicle is stopped.
!If you hear a warning signal and the
message
Release parking brake appears in
the multifunction display when driving off, you
have forgotten to release the parking brake.
Release the parking brake (
page 55).
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56 Getting started
Driving
After a cold start, the transmission shifts at
a higher engine revolution. This allows the
catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature earlier.
For more information, see “Driving instruc-
tions” (
page 245).
For information on off-road driving, see
“Off-road driving” (
page 253).
Switching on headlamps
Low beam headlamps
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.
Exterior lamp switch
1 Off
2 Low beam headlamps on
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
position B.
The low beam headlamp indicator
lamp B in the instrument cluster
comes on (
page 26).
iOnce the vehicle is in motion, the automatic
central locking system engages and the locking
knobs drop down.
The automatic door lock feature can be deacti-
vated (
page 155).
You can open a locked door from the inside.
Open door only when conditions are safe to do
so.
Warning!G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of loss of control.
Warning!G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector
lever out of P or N if the engine speed is
higher than idle speed. If your foot is not
firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickl y forward or in reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
!Do not run cold engine at high engine speed.
Running a cold engine at high engine speed may
shorten the service life of the engine.
!Simultaneously depressing the accelerator
pedal and applying the brakes reduces engine
performance and causes premature brake and
drivetrain wear.
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57
Getting started
Driving
High beam
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.
Combination switch
1
High beam
2 High beam flasher
Push the combination switch in
direction of arrow 1.
The high beam headlamp indicator
lamp A in the instrument cluster
comes on (
page 26).
For more information on headlamps, see
“Lighting” (
page 117).
Turn signals
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.
Combination switch
1 Turn signals, right
2 Turn signals, left
Press the combination switch in
direction of arrow 1 or 2.
The corresponding turn signal indicator
lamp K orL in the instrument
cluster flashes (
page 26).
The combination switch resets automati-
cally after major steering wheel move-
ments.
iTo signal minor directional changes such as
changing lanes, press co mbination switch only
to point of resistance and release. The corre-
sponding turn signals will flash three times.
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58 Getting started
Driving
Windshield wipers
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.
Combination switch
1Single wipe
Wiping with windshield washer fluid
2 Switching on windshield wipers
Switch on the ignition (page 39). Switching on windshield wipers
Turn the combination switch to the
desired position depending on the
intensity of the rain.
0
Windshield wipers off
I Intermittent wiping
II Normal wiper speed
III Fast wiper speed
!Do not operate the windshield wipers when
the windshield is dry. Dust that accumulates on
a windshield might scratch the glass and/or
damage the wiper blades when wiping occurs on
a dry windshield. If it is necessary to operate the
windshield wipers in dry weather conditions,
always operate the windshield wipers with
windshield washer fluid (
page 59).
!If anything blocks the windshield wipers
(leaves, snow, etc.), switch them off
immediately.

For safety reasons, stop the vehicle in a safe
location, turn off the engine and remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch before
attempting to remove any blockage.

Remove blockage.

Turn the windshield wipers on again.
If the windshield wipers fail to function at all with
the combination switch in position I,

set the combination switch to the next
higher wiper speed

have the windshield wipers checked at the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
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59
Getting started
Driving
Intermittent wiping
Only switch on intermittent wiping under
wet weather conditions or in the presence
of precipitation.
When you select intermittent wiping, the
rain sensor is activated. The rain sensor
automatically sets a suitable wiping
interval depending on the wetness of the
sensor surface.Turn the combination switch to
position
I.
After the initial wipe, pauses between
wipes are automatically controlled by
the rain sensor. Single wipe
Press the combination switch briefly in
direction of arrow
1 to the resistance
point.
The windshield wipers wipe one time
without washer fluid.
Wiping with windsh ield washer fluid
Push the combination switch in direc-
tion of arrow1 past the resistance
point.
The windshield wipers operate with
washer fluid.
For information on filling up the washer
reservoir, see “Windshield/rear window
washer system and headlamp cleaning
system” (
page 275).
!Do not leave windshield wipers in intermit-
tent setting when the vehicle is taken to an auto-
matic car wash or during windshield cleaning.
Windshield wipers will operate in the presence of
water sprayed on the windshield, and windshield
wipers may be damaged as a result.
iIntermittent wiping is interrupted when the
vehicle is at a standstill and a front door is
opened. This protects persons getting into or out
of the vehicle from being sprayed.
Intermittent wiping will be continued when all
doors are closed and

the gear selector lever is in drive position D
or reverse gear R
or

the wiper setting is changed using the
combination switchiTo prevent smears on the windshield, or
noisy/chattering wiper bl ades, wipe with wind-
shield washer fluid every now and then even
when it is raining.
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