MERCEDES-BENZ G55AMG 2004 W463 Owner's Manual

141 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
One-touch gearshifting
Even with an automatic transmission, you
can change the gears manually when the
gear selector lever is in positionD.
Downshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in the D–direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next lower gear. This action si-
multaneously limits the gear range of the
transmission (
page 142).Upshifting

Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the right in the D+direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next higher gear as permitted
by the shift program. This action simulta-
neously extends the gear range of the
transmission.Canceling gear range limit

Press and hold the gear selector lever
in the D+direction until
Dreappears in
the multifunction display.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear range directly to gear rangeD.
Shifting into optimal gear range

Press and hold the gear selector lever
in the D-direction.
The transmission will automatically select
the gear range suited for optimal accelera-
tion and deceleration. This will involve
shifting down one or more gears.
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.
iTo avoid overrevving the engine when
the gear selector lever is moved to the
D- direction, the transmission will not
shift to a lower gear if the engine’s
max. speed would be exceeded.

142 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionGear ranges
With the gear selector lever in positionD,
you can limit the transmission’s gear range
by pressing the gear selector lever to the
left (D-), and reverse the gear range limit
by pressing the gear selector lever to the
right (D+).
The selected gear range will appear in the
multifunction display. If you press on the
accelerator when the engine has reached
its rpm limit, the transmission will upshift
beyond any gear range limit selected.
Gear selector lever position
!If the transfer case is in off-road driving
position LOW, the automatic transmis-
sion will not shift up automatically,
even when the engine has reached the
speed limit for that gear. There is a risk
of damaging the engine.
It is very important to make sure the
permissible engine speed is not ex-
ceeded.
Effect
é
The transmission shifts
through fourth gear only.
è
The transmission shifts
through third gear only.
With this selection you can
use the braking effect of the
engine.
ç
The transmission shifts
through second gear only.
Allows the use of engine’s
braking power when driving

on steep downgrades


in mountainous regions


under extreme operating
conditions
æ
The transmission operates in
first gear only.
For maximum use of engine’s
braking effect on very steep
or lengthy downgrades.
Effect
ì
Park position
Gear selector lever position
when the vehicle is parked. Place
gear selector lever in positionP
only when vehicle is stopped.
The park position is not intended
to serve as a brake when the
vehicle is parked. Rather, the
driver should always set the
parking brake in addition to
placing the gear selector lever in
positionP to secure the vehicle.

143 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
EffectThe SmartKey can only be
removed from the starter switch
with the gear selector lever in
positionP. With the SmartKey
removed, the gear selector lever
is locked in positionP.
If the vehicle’s electrical system
is malfunctioning, the gear
selector lever could remain
locked in positionP
(page 290).
í
Reverse gear
Place gear selector lever in
positionR only when vehicle is
stopped.
Effect
ë
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive axle. When
the brakes are released, the
vehicle can be moved freely
(pushed or towed).
Do not engageN while driving
except:

to coast when vehicle is in
danger of skidding (e.g. on
icy roads) when the ESP is
deactivated or malfunction-
ing


when you have to shift the
transfer case
ê
Drive
The transmission shifts
automatically. All five forward
gears are available.
!Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any
other reason with gear selector lever
inN can result in transmission damage
that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear se-
lector lever not fully engaged in positionP is
dangerous. Also, positionP alone is not in-
tended to or capable of preventing your ve-
hicle from moving, possibly hitting people or
objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 51).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
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.

144 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission
Accelerator position
Your driving style influences the transmis-
sion’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle Earlier upshifting
More throttle Later upshifting
Kickdown
Use kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
Press the accelerator past the point of
resistance.
The transmission shifts into a lower
gear.

Ease on the accelerator when you have
reached the desired speed.
The transmission shifts up again.Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode)
If vehicle acceleration worsens or the
transmission no longer shifts, the trans-
mission is most likely operating in limp
home (emergency operation) mode. In this
mode, only 2nd gear and reverse gear can
be activated.
Stop the vehicle.

Move gear selector lever toP.

Turn off the engine.

Wait at least ten seconds before re-
starting.

Restart the engine.

Move gear selector lever to positionD
(for second gear) orR.

Have the transmission checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center as soon as possible.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, and lock
the vehicle. Do not leave children unattend-
ed in the vehicle, or with access to an un-
locked vehicle. Children could move the
gear selector lever from positionP, which
could result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.

145 Controls in detail
Transfer case
Transfer case
For more information on off-road driving,
see “Off-road driving” (
page 213).
Gear range
Switching transfer case
The switch is located in the center console.1Transfer case indicator
2Gear range indicator
Transfer case indicator1 in the multi-
function display shows the gear position of
the transfer case.
H
HIGHRoad position
L
LOWOff-road position
This position is intended for
driving off-road and step gradi-
ents.
The transmission will not up-
shift automatically to the next
higher gear range when driving
at the rpm limit.The transfer case supports the
engine’s driving force (approx. 1/2speed). Output is there-
fore increased.
N
NeutralNo power is transmitted from
the engine to the drive axle.

146 Controls in detailTransfer caseSwitching from HIGH to LOW
Press upper half (“LOW”) of the trans-
fer case switch.
Once the shift is complete, gear
position
L is displayed in the transfer
case indicator.

Put gear selector in D.Switching from LOW to HIGH

Press lower half (“HIGH”) of the trans-
fer case switch.
Once the shift is complete, gear
position
H is displayed in the transfer
case indicator.

Put gear selector in D.Messages in the multifunction display
If a shift was not completed and the multi-
function display shows one of the following
messages:


TC SHIFT CONDITIONS NOT FULFILLEDThe shift did not take place. At least
one shift condition was not met.

Repeat the shift procedure.


TC IN NEUTRAL The shift did not take place. The trans-
fer case is in neutral. The gear
position
N is displayed in the transfer
case indicator1.

Repeat the shift procedure.
!The shift procedure can only be per-
formed when:

The engine is running.


The gear selector lever for the auto-
matic transmission is in positionN.


The vehicle is not at standstill.


The vehicle speed does not exceed
25 mph (40 km/h).
iIf the shift procedure does not take
place press upper half (“LOW”) of the
transfer case switch again.
!The shift procedure can only be per-
formed when:

The engine is running.


The gear selector lever for the auto-
matic transmission is in positionN.


The vehicle is not at standstill.


The vehicle speed does not exceed
40 mph (70 km/h).
iIf the shift procedure does not take
place press lower half (“HIGH”) of the
transfer case switch again.
Warning!
G
If TC is in neutral, transmission positionP
will not hold vehicle. The parking brake must
be applied to hold vehicle in place.

147 Controls in detail
Transfer case


TC SHIFT – CANCELLEDThe shift did not take place.

Repeat the shift procedure.


TRANSFER CASE – VISIT WORKSHOP!There may be a malfunction in the sys-
tem.

Repeat the shift procedure.

If the shift procedure still does not take
place, have the vehicle checked at your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center as soon as possible.For more information, see “Practical hints”
section (
page 281).
iIf the SmartKey is in starter switch
position0 or1, an alarm will sound if
the transfer case is in positionN and
the driver’s door is opened.
Engage transfer case to gear position
HIGH or LOW.

148 Controls in detailDifferential locks
Differential locksFor more information on off-road driving,
see “Off-road driving” (
page 213).
Differential locks improve the vehicle’s
tractive power off-road. Switch on differen-
tial locks:


for off-road driving


to turn the ABS off during off-road driv-
ing


for driving through water


when driving on deep snow and icy or
fouled surfaces!Do not engage the front axle differen-
tial lock when driving around tight cor-
ners. This restricts steering ability.
!When driving off-road, apply only mod-
erate pressure to the accelerator pedal
if the differential locks are switched on.
When running on a (single-axle) dyna-
mometer – no matter how briefly – you
must:

raise the non-driven axle
or


disconnect its drive shaft
and


engage the transfer differential lock
Otherwise the transfer case can be
damaged, which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
Never drive on pavement with differential
locks engaged.
Steering control will be strongly affected
with the differential locks activated.
The ABS, BAS and ESP are switched off au-
tomatically when the transfer case differen-
tial lock is activated.

149 Controls in detail
Differential locks
A few words about differentials and differential locks
When a vehicle negotiates a turn, wheels
on the outside of the curve must travel far-
ther and rotate faster than the inside
wheels. The differential, the operation of a
set of gears that allows the powered
wheels in a vehicle to turn at different
speeds, makes this essential function pos-
sible.
The drawback is that the differential also
sends most of the engine’s power to the
wheel with the least load or strain on it. For
example, if one of a vehicle’s powered
wheels sits on a patch of snow and spins
because there is no traction, all of the en-
gine’s power will go to that wheel because
the power will take the path of least resis-
tance. Meanwhile, the opposite wheel, sit-
ting on dry pavement where it could get
enough grip to start the vehicle moving,
sits idle because it receives no power.The Electronic Traction System (ETS) ad-
dresses this problem and provides for
good control and steering ability by auto-
matically slowing the slipping wheel and
thus increasing the power to the other
non-slipping drive wheels to get the vehicle
moving. The ESP and ETS in this vehicle
feature such intelligent limited-slip differ-
ential technology, ideally suited for
on-road and light off-road driving. Transfer
case position LOW (
page 145) also en-
hances off-road driving capabilities
(
page 213).
More extreme off-road conditions may call
for another solution, engaging a differen-
tial lock or preventing the differential from
operating altogether. As part of its stan-
dard equipment, this vehicle comes with
three differential locks: front, transfer case
(center) and rear. Each can be engaged
simply by pushing dashboard-mounted
buttons in sequential order (center, rear,
front) (
page 150). When the transfer
case (center) differential is locked, half of
the engine’s power is automatically distrib-
uted to the front wheels and half to the rear wheels. When the rear differential is
locked, power going to the rear wheels is
equally distributed, so that both rear
wheels turn at the same speed and torque.
When the front differential is locked, all
four wheels now turn with equal power and
torque. Please be aware that engaging the
differential locks will significantly reduce
the steering ability of the vehicle.
For your safety and the safety of others
and to prevent damage to the vehicle, the
differential locks must not be engaged
when driving on paved roads. It is impor-
tant to understand that during
on-road/paved driving, differentials are
absolutely necessary for providing the es-
sential control and steering ability of the
vehicle. The differential locks, therefore,
must not be engaged when driving on
paved roads and should only be used to
the extent necessary to negotiate off-road
conditions which cannot be handled by the
systems (automatic 4-ETS, the ESP, manu-
al switch position “LOW” of transfer case)
this vehicle comes equipped with.

150 Controls in detailDifferential locksSwitching differential locks on and off
The switch is located in the center console.
1Transfer case (center) differential lock
2Rear axle differential lock
3Front differential lock
4Engagement indicator lamps (yellow)
5Function indicator lamps (red)Switching differential locks on
Transfer case differential lock

Press switch1.
The yellow engagement indicator
lamp4 for the transfer case differen-
tial lock comes on.
The ESP warning lampv comes on.
When the differential lock engagement
operation has been completed, the red
function indicator lamp5 comes on.The message
ABS NOT AVAILABLE –
DIFFERENTIAL LOCKED
appears in the
multifunction display.
The ESP warning lampv and the
ABS- warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster come on.
Once the transfer case differential lock
is switched on, you can now, if needed,


switch on rear axle differential
lock2
or


switch on rear axle differential lock
and front differential lock2
and3.
iThe differential locks can only be
switched on in the sequence 1,
2,3.
!To avoid damage to the transfer case
and differential locks:

Engage differential locks only at low
speed (walking speed, not more
than 5 mph).


Do not engage differential locks if
the driving wheels are spinning due
to lack of traction.


Do not engage on paved roads.