MERCEDES-BENZ G55AMG 2003 W463 Service Manual

41 Getting started
Driving
1Latch plate
2Buckle
3Release button
With a smooth motion, pull the belt
from the belt outlet.

Place the belt over your shoulder.

Push latch plate1 into buckle2 until it
clicks.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint. Warning!
G
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the back-
rest reclined. Sitting in an excessively re-
clined position can be dangerous. You could
slide under the seat belt in a collision. If you
slide under it, the belt would apply force at
the abdomen or neck. That could cause se-
rious or even fatal injuries. The backrest and
seat belt provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in an upright position and the belt
is properly positioned on the body.
Warning!
G
Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are seat belts available. Be sure
everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly re-
strained with a separate seat belt - even
those in the rear.Warning!
G
Read and observe the additional warning no-
tices printed in the “Safety and Security”
section (
page 58) and (
page 60).


42 Getting startedDriving
If necessary, tighten the lap portion to
a snug fit by pulling shoulder portion
up.
Proper use of seat belts


Do not twist the belt when fastening.


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 or pass under the
arm). For this purpose, you can adjust
the height of the belt outlet, see below.


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


Place the seat backrest in a nearly up-
right position.


E a c h s e a t b e l t s h o u l d n e v e r b e u s e d f o r
more than one person at a time.


Do not fasten a seat belt around a per-
son and another object at the same
time.


Check your seat belt during travel to
ensure that it is properly positioned.


Ensure that the seat belt is always fit-
ted snugly. You should avoid wearing
bulky clothing, such as winter coats,
when traveling in the vehicle.Seat belt height adjustment
Adjust the height so that the upper part of
the belt runs over the middle of the shoul-
der.
1Button for belt outlet height adjust-
mentWarning!
G
Do not pass belts over sharp edges. They
could tear.
Do not allow the belt to get caught in the
door or in the seat adjustment mechanism.
This could damage the belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to
seat belts. This could impair the effective-
ness of the belts.
Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.

43 Getting started
Driving
Adjusting belt outlet higher
Slide belt outlet upward.
The belt outlet engages in five various
positions.
Adjusting belt outlet lower

Press and hold release button1.

Slide belt outlet in desired position.

Let go of release button1.
Please comply with the instructions for
“Proper use of seat belts” (
page 42).
Starting the engine Starting
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmissionPPark position with selector lever lock
RReverse gear
NNeutral
DDrive position
More information on automatic transmis-
sion can be found in the “Controls in de-
tail” section (
page 135).
Warning!
G
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to
your health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide, and inhaling it can cause uncon-
sciousness and lead to death.
Do not run the engine in confined areas
(such as garage) which are not properly ven-
tilated. If you think that exhaust gas fumes
are entering the vehicle while driving, have
the cause determined and corrected imme-
diately. If you must drive under these condi-
tions, drive only with at least one window
fully open.

44 Getting startedDriving
Make sure that the selector lever is set
toP.

Do not depress accelerator.

Turn key in the starter switch to
position3 and hold until the engine
starts (
page 33).

Depress the brake pedal.
The selector lever lock is released.
For information on turning off the engine,
see “Turning off engine” (
page 51).Starting difficulties
If the engine does not start as described,
carry out the following steps:

Turn key in starter switch to position0
and repeat starting procedure.

Remember that extended starting at-
tempts can drain the battery.

Get a jump start (
page 297).
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.

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center.Parking brake
1Lever
2Button
iYou can also use the “touch-start”
function. Turn the key to position3 and
release it again immediately. The en-
gine then starts automatically.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the starter switch, and lock the ve-
hicle.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could release the parking brake,
which could result in an accident and/or se-
rious personal injury.

45 Getting started
Driving

Release the parking brake by lifting
lever1 up slightly, pressing button2
on the lever and moving lever1 down
to the stop.
The indicator lamp
;
(USA only) or
3
(Canada only) in the instrument
cluster goes out.
Driving

Depress the brake pedal.
The selector lever lock is released.

Move selector lever to positionD orR.

Release the brake pedal.

Carefully depress the accelerator.
Once the vehicle is in motion, the auto-
matic central locking system engages
and the locking knobs drop down.After a cold start, the automatic transmis-
sion engages at a higher revolution. This al-
lows the catalytic converter to reach its
operating temperature earlier.
More information on driving can be found
in “Operation” section (
page 197).
For information on off-road driving, see
“Driving instructions” (
page 203).
iWait for the gear selection process to
complete before setting the vehicle in
motion.
iYou can open the doors from inside at
any time. Open doors only when the
conditions are safe to do so.!If you hear a warning signal when driv-
ing off, you have forgotten to release
the parking brake.
Release the parking brake.
Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the selector lever out
ofP 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
quickly forward or in reverse. You could lose
control of the vehicle and hit someone or
something. Only shift into gear when the en-
gine is idling normally and when your right
foot is firmly on the brake pedal.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.

46 Getting startedDrivingSwitching on headlampsExterior lamp switch1Off
2Low beam headlamps on
Turn the switch to
B
.
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (page 100).
Turn signals and high beam
The combination switch is on the left of the
steering column.Combination switch1Turn signals, right
2Turn signals, left
Press combination switch up1 or
down2.
The switch is automatically canceled
when the steering wheel is turned a
sufficient degree.High beam

Push the combination switch forward.
The high beam symbol
A
in the
instrument cluster lights up.
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (
page 103).
iTo signal minor directional changes,
move combination switch to point of
resistance only and release. The turn
signal blinks three times.

47 Getting started
Driving
Windshield wipers
The combination switch is on the left of the
steering column.Combination switch1Single wipe
2Switching on windshield wipers 
Make sure that the ignition is switched
on.Switching on windshield wipers

Turn the combination switch to the de-
sired position depending on the inten-
sity of the rain.
0Windshield wipers off
IIntermittent wiping
IINormal wiper speed
IIIFast wiper speedSingle wipe

Press switch briefly in the direction of
arrow1.
The windshield wipers wipe one time
without washer fluid.
Wiping with windshield washer fluid

Push switch in the direction of arrow1
past the resistance point.
The windshield wipers operate with
washer fluid until the switch is re-
leased.
Information on filling up the washer reser-
voir can be found in the “Operation” sec-
tion (page 222).
iThe intermittent wiping interval de-
pends on the wetness of the wind-
shield. Wiping will not occur with a
front door open.!Do not leave in intermittent setting
when vehicle is taken to an automatic
car wash or during windshield cleaning.
Wipers will operate in the presence of
water sprayed on the windshield, and
wipers may be damaged as a result.
The switch should not be left in
intermittent setting as the wipers will
wipe the windshield once every time
the engine is started. Dust that accu-
mulates on the windshield might
scratch the glass when wiping occurs
on a dry windshield.

48 Getting startedDriving
Rear window wiper/washer
The rear window wiper / washer switch is
located on the upper part of the center
console.
1Interval wiping on/off
2Indicator lamp
3Simultaneous operation of wiper and
washer

Make sure that the ignition is switched
on.
Interval wiping
Switching on

Press upper half1 of the switch.
The indicator lamp2 comes on.
Switching off

Press upper half1 of the switch again.
The indicator lamp2 goes out.
Wiping with windshield washer fluid

Press and hold lower half3 of the
switch.
The wiper operates with washer fluid.
The rear window will be wiped for ap-
proximately another five seconds after
the switch is released.
Information on filling up the washer reser-
voir can be found in the “Operation” sec-
tion (page 222).
!If leaves, snow, etc. block the wind-
shield wipers, switch off the wipers.

For safety reasons, withdraw key
from starter switch. Remove block-
age.


Turn the windshield wipers on
again.
If windshield wipers fail to function at
all in switch positionI,


set the combination switch to the
next highest wiper speed.


have the windshield wipers
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
iThe rear window wiper will also auto-
matically engage if the windshield wip-
ers are engaged and the selector lever
is placed inR “Reverse”.

49 Getting started
Driving
Problems while driving
The engine runs erratically and misfires

An ignition cable may be damaged.


The engine electronics may not be op-
erating properly.


Unburned gasoline may have entered
the catalytic converter and damaged it.

Give very little gas.

Have the problem repaired by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center as soon as possible.The coolant temperature is over 248°F
(120°C)
The coolant is too hot and is no longer
cooling the engine.

Stop the vehicle as soon as possible
and turn off the engine. Allow engine
and coolant to cool.

Check the coolant level and add cool-
ant if necessary (
page 220).In case of accident
If the vehicle is leaking gasoline:

Do not start the engine under any cir-
cumstances.

Notify local fire and/or police authori-
ties.
If the extent of the damage cannot be de-
termined:

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center.
If no damage can be determined on the


major assemblies


fuel system


engine mount:

Start the engine in the usual manner.
iExcessive coolant temperatures trigger
a warning message in the multifunction
display (
page 252).

50 Getting startedParking and locking
Parking and lockingYou have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows.
Parking brake
1Lever
2Button
Pull lever1 up as many notches as pos-
sible.
When the engine is running, the indica-
tor lamp
;
(USA only) or
3
(Can-
ada only) in the instrument cluster will
be illuminated.
Warning!
G
Wait until the vehicle is stationary before re-
moving the key from the starter switch. The
vehicle cannot be steered when the key is
removed.Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and the
steering system. In this case, it is important
to keep in mind that a considerably higher
degree of effort is necessary to stop or steer
the vehicle.
Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.


Pull the parking brake lever up as many
notches as possible.


Move the selector lever to positionP.


Slowly release brake pedal.


When parked on an incline, turn front
wheels towards the road curb.


Turn the key to starter switch position0
and remove.


Take the key and lock vehicle when leav-
ing.