MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS SUV 2008 Owners Manual

Engine compartment
158 Make sure that the windscreen wipers are
switched off and that the key has been
pulled out of the ignition lock before open-
ing the bonnet.
The bonnet release lever is located in the
driver's footwell. 1
Bonnet release lever
X Pull release lever 1.
The bonnet is released.
! Make sure that the windscreen wipers
are not folded out from the windscreen.
You could otherwise damage the wind-
screen wipers or the bonnet. G 320 CDI
2
Bonnet catch handle
X Lift the bonnet slightly.
X Pull bonnet catch handle 2in the direction
of the arrow and lift the bonnet. G 500, G 55 AMG
3
Bonnet catch handle X
Lift the bonnet slightly.
X Push bonnet catch handle 3in the direc-
tion of the arrow and lift the bonnet.
Closing G
Risk of injury
Make sure that nobody can become trap-
ped as you close the bonnet.
X Lower the bonnet and let it fall from a
height of approximately 20 cm.
X Check that the bonnet has engaged prop-
erly.
i If the bonnet can be raised slightly, it is
not properly engaged. Open it again and
close it with a little more force. Operation
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Engine compartment
159Engine oil
Depending on driving style, the vehicle con-
sumes a maximum of 0.8 l oil per 1,000 km.
The oil consumption may be higher than this
when the vehicle is new or if you frequently
drive at high engine speeds. You can only
estimate the oil consumption after you have
driven a considerable distance.
You will find further information about engine
oil in the "Technical data" section
(Y page 279).
Checking the engine oil level To do so:
R
the vehicle should be parked on level
ground.
R the engine should be switched off for at
least five minutes if the engine was at nor-
mal operating temperature.
R the engine should be switched off for at
least 30 minutes if the engine was not at
operating temperature (i.e. if you only star-
ted the engine briefly). Via the on-board computer
i
Only possible on the G 55 AMG. On all
other models, a dipstick is used to check
the engine oil level (Y page 160).
X Make sure that the key is in position 2in
the ignition lock (Y page 59).
X Press konce on the multi-function
steering wheel. The measurement takes a few seconds. You
will see one of the following messages in the
display:
R
Engine oil level OK
R Add 1.0 litre to reach maximum oil
level R
Add 1.5 litres to reach maximum oil
level
R Add 2.0 litres to reach maximum oil
level
X Top up the oil if necessary ( Ypage 160).
Other messages in the multi-function dis-
play
If the engine is at normal operating tempera-
ture and there is too much oil, you will see the
following message: Eng. oil level
Reduce oil level.
X Have excess oil siphoned off.
! There is a risk of damage to the engine or
the catalytic converter if there is excess oil
in the engine.
If the Switch ignition on to check
engine oil level message appears:
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock (Y page 59).
You will see the following message if you did
not observe the required waiting time:
Observe waiting period Operation
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Engine compartment
160
X
Repeat the measurement after about five
minutes if the engine is at normal operating
temperature.
X Repeat the measurement after about
30 minutes if the engine is not at normal
operating temperature (if the engine was
only started briefly).
If the engine is running, the Engine oil
level Not when engine on message
appears.
X Switch off the engine and wait for five
minutes if the engine is at normal operating
temperature, or for about 30 minutes if the
engine is not at normal operating temper-
ature (if the engine was only started
briefly), before measuring.
i If you wish to cancel the measurement,
press the korj button on the multi-
function steering wheel.
Using the oil dipstick
i Only possible on the G 320 CDI and
G 500. On the G 55 AMG, the oil level is
checked using the on-board computer
(Y page 159). Example: G 320 CDI
1
Oil dipstick
2 Maximum mark
3 Minimum mark
X Pull oil dipstick 1out of the oil dipstick
tube.
X Wipe off oil dipstick 1.
X Insert oil dipstick 1into the oil dipstick
tube to the stop, and take it out again.
The oil level is correct if the level is between
minimum mark 3and maximum mark
2.
X Top up the oil if necessary.
i The difference in quantity between mini-
mum mark 3and maximum mark 2is
approximately 2 litres. Topping up the engine oil
G 500
1
Cap G 55 AMG
1
Cap Operation
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Engine compartment
161G 320 CDI
1
Cap
X Unscrew cap 1and remove it.
X Top up with the amount of oil required.
! Do not add too much oil. If too much oil
is added and the oil level is above the max-
imum mark on the dipstick, the engine or
catalytic converter could be damaged.
Have excess oil siphoned off.
X Screw cap 1onto the filler neck. H
Environmental note
When topping up the oil, take care not to
spill any. Oil must not be allowed to escape
into the soil or waterways. You would oth-
erwise be damaging the environment. Oil level in the automatic transmis-
sion
There is no need for you to check the oil level
in the automatic transmission. In the event of
oil loss or problems with gearshifts, have the
automatic transmission checked at a quali-
fied specialist workshop, e.g. at a Mercedes-
Benz Service Centre. Coolant
G
Risk of injury
The cooling system is pressurised. There-
fore, only unscrew the cap once the engine
has cooled down. This means the coolant
temperature gauge must display less than
70 °C. You could otherwise be scalded by
escaping hot coolant.
Coolant consists of water and antifreeze/cor-
rosion inhibitor. Only check the coolant level
when the vehicle is on a level surface and the
engine has cooled down. Checking the coolant level The expansion tank is located in the engine
compartment on the right-hand side of the
vehicle when viewed in the direction of travel.
1
Cap
X Slowly turn cap 1by half a turn in the
direction of the arrow to release excess
pressure.
X Unscrew cap 1completely and remove it.
X Turn cap 2further anti-clockwise and
remove it.
There is sufficient coolant in the expansion
tank if the coolant is level with the mark in
the expansion tank when the coolant is cold
or approximately 1.5 cm higher when hot. Operation
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Tyres and wheels
162
X
Top up the coolant if necessary.
X Replace cap 1and tighten all the way to
the stop.
You will find further information about coolant
in the "Technical data" section
(Y page 280). Windscreen washer system/head-
lamp cleaning system
The washer fluid reservoir is located in the
engine compartment on the right when
viewed in the direction of travel. The head-
lamp cleaning system is also supplied from
the washer fluid reservoir. 1
Cap
X Add windscreen washer concentrate to the
washer fluid all year round. G
Risk of fire
Windscreen washer concentrate is highly
flammable. Fire, naked flames and smoking
are prohibited when windscreen washer
concentrate is being handled.
Use
R a windscreen washer fluid additive
such as MB Summerwash to prevent
smearing (for temperatures above freez-
ing).
R a windscreen washer fluid additive with
antifreeze properties such as MB Winter-
wash (if there is a risk of frost).
X Mix the windscreen washer fluid in a con-
tainer beforehand. Adapt the mixing ratio
to the outside temperatures.
! Only use windscreen washer fluid which
is suitable for plastic lamp lenses. Unsuit-
able windscreen washer fluid could dam-
age the plastic lamp lenses of the head-
lamps.
X To open: pull cap1upwards by the tab.
X To close: press cap 1onto the filler neck
until it clicks into place. Tyres and wheels
Points to remember
! For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz rec-
ommends that you only use tyres and
wheels which have been approved by
Mercedes-Benz specifically for your vehi-
cle. These tyres have been specially adap-
ted for use with the control systems, such
as ABS or ESP ®
, and are marked as follows:
R MO = Mercedes-Benz Original
If you use other tyres and wheels,
Mercedes-Benz cannot accept any respon-
sibility for damage that may result. Further
information about tyres, wheels and
approved combinations can be obtained
from any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
If you use tyres other than those tested and
recommended for Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles, characteristics such as handling, vehi-
cle noise emissions and fuel consumption
may be adversely affected. In addition, the
wheels may come into contact with the
body or axle components when heavily loa-
ded or when driving with snow chains. This
could result in damage to the tyres or the
vehicle. Operation
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Tyres and wheels
163
!
Retreaded tyres are neither tested nor
recommended by Mercedes-Benz, since
previous damage cannot always be detec-
ted on retreaded tyres. As a result,
Mercedes-Benz cannot guarantee vehicle
safety if retreaded tyres are fitted. Do not
fit used tyres if you have no information
about their previous usage. G
Risk of accident
If wheels or tyres other than those which
have been tested are fitted:
R the brakes or chassis components could
be damaged.
R wheel and tyre clearances can no longer
be guaranteed.
This could cause an accident.
Modification work on the brake system and
wheels is not permitted, nor is the use of
spacer plates or brake dust shields. This inva-
lidates the General Operating Permit for the
vehicle. Notes on selecting, fitting and replacing
tyres R
only fit tyres and wheels of the same type
and make.
R only fit tyres of the correct size onto the
wheels.
R after fitting new tyres, run them in at mod-
erate speeds for the first 100 km as they
only reach their full performance after this
distance.
R fit new tyres on the front wheels first if tyres
of the same size are required on the front
and rear wheels.
R replace the tyres after six years at the lat-
est, regardless of wear. This also applies to
the spare wheel.
R do not drive with tyres which have too little
tread depth, as this significantly reduces
the traction on wet roads (aquaplaning).
! Store tyres that are not being used in a
cool, dry and preferably dark place. Protect
the tyres against oil, grease, petrol and die-
sel. Notes on regularly inspecting wheels
and tyres R
regularly check the wheels and tyres of
your vehicle for damage (e.g. cuts, punctu-
res, tears, bumps on tyres and deforma-
tion, cracks or severe corrosion on wheels),
at least every 14 days, as well as after driv-
ing off-road or on rough roads. Damaged
wheels could cause a loss of tyre pressure.
R regularly check the tyre tread depth and the
condition of the tread across the whole
width of the tyre (Y page 164). If neces-
sary, turn the front wheels to full lock in
order to inspect the inner side of the tyre
surface.
R all wheels must have a valve cap to protect
the valve against dirt and moisture.
R regularly check the pressure of all your
tyres including the spare tyre, particularly
prior to long trips, and correct the pressure
as necessary (Y page 164).
Notes on driving R
while driving, pay attention to vibrations,
noises and unusual handling characteris-
tics, e.g. pulling to one side. This may indi-
cate that the wheels or tyres are damaged.
If you suspect that a tyre is defective, Operation
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Tyres and wheels
164reduce your speed and stop the vehicle as
soon as possible to check the wheels and
tyres for damage. Hidden tyre damage
could also be causing the unusual handling
characteristics. If you find no signs of dam-
age, have the tyres and wheels checked at
a specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-
Benz Service Centre.
R when parking your vehicle, make sure that
the tyres do not get deformed by the kerb
or other obstacles. If it is necessary to drive
over kerbs, speed humps or similar eleva-
tions, try to do so slowly and at an obtuse
angle. Otherwise, the tyres, particularly the
sidewalls, could get damaged. Direction of rotation
Tyres with a specified direction of rotation
have additional benefits, e.g. if there is a risk
of aquaplaning. You will only gain these ben-
efits if the correct direction of rotation is
observed.
An arrow on the sidewall of the tyre indicates
its correct direction of rotation.
i You may fit a spare tyre against the direc-
tion of rotation. Tyr
e tread G
Risk of accident
Bear in mind that:
R tyre grip decreases rapidly on wet roads
when the tread depth is less than 3 mm.
Thus, you should replace tyres that have
insufficient tread.
R winter tyres should be replaced when the
tread depth is 4 mm or less as they will
no longer provide adequate grip.
R the tread on a tyre may not wear evenly.
Thus, you should regularly check the
tread depth and the condition of the
tread across the entire width of all tyres.
If necessary, turn the steering wheel so
that you can see the tyre tread more eas-
ily.
Otherwise, you could lose control of the
vehicle and cause an accident due to the
reduced grip of the tyres on the road. Tyre pressures
i You will find a table of tyre pressures for
various operating conditions on the inside
of your vehicle's fuel filler flap
(Y page 154). G
Risk of accident
Tyre pressure that is either too high or too
low has a negative effect on the vehicle’s
driving safety, which could lead you to
cause an accident. You should therefore
regularly check the pressure of all your
tyres (including the spare tyre), particularly
prior to long trips, and correct the pressure
as necessary.
To test tyre pressure, use a suitable pressure
gauge. The outer appearance of a tyre does
not permit any reliable conclusion about the
tyre pressure. On vehicles fitted with the elec-
tronic tyre pressure monitor*, the tyre pres-
sure can be checked in the on-board com-
puter.
If the vehicle is to be heavily laden or driven
at high speeds, the tyre pressure must be
adapted according to the specifications given
in the fuel filler flap. Use the highest specified
tyre pressure for the spare wheel. Operation
* optional
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Tyres and wheels
165G
Risk of accident
Should the tyre pressure drop repeatedly:
R Check the tyre for foreign bodies.
R Check whether the wheel is losing air or
the valve is leaking.
Tyre pressure that is too low has a negative
effect on the vehicle’s active safety, which
could lead to your causing an accident.
Tyre pressure changes by approximately
0.1 bar for every 10 °C change in ambient
temperature.
If you measure the tyre pressure in enclosed
spaces where the temperature differs from
the outside temperature, you will have to cor-
rect the measured value accordingly.
When the vehicle is driven, the tyre tempera-
ture, and with it the tyre pressure, will
increase depending on the road speed and
the load on the tyres.
Therefore, you should only correct tyre pres-
sures when the tyres are cold.
The pressure of warm tyres should only be
corrected if it is too low for the current oper-
ating conditions. Driving with tyre pressure that is too high or
too low can:
R
shorten the service life of the tyres
R increase the likelihood of tyre damage
R have a negative effect on handling charac-
teristics (e.g. by causing aquaplaning)
i The tyre pressure values given for low
loads are minimum values which offer you
good ride comfort characteristics.
However, you can, also use the values given
for higher loads. These are permissible and
will not adversely affect the running of the
vehicle.
Also check the tyre pressure of the spare
wheel regularly. H
Environmental note
Check the tyre pressure regularly, at least
every 14 days. Tyre pressure monitor*
The tyre pressure monitor only functions if
the correct wheel electronics are fitted to all
wheels. These monitor the pressure in all four
tyres, which you have set when restarting the
tyre pressure monitor. The monitor warns you
when the pressure drops in one or more of
the tyres.
The function of the tyre pressure monitor is
limited or delayed if:
R snow chains are fitted to your vehicle's
tyres
R road conditions are wintry
R you are driving on sand or gravel
R you adopt a very sporty driving style (cor-
nering at high speeds or driving with high
rates of acceleration)
R you are towing a very heavy or large trailer
R you are driving with a heavy load (in the
vehicle or on the roof) G
Risk of accident
The tyre pressure monitor does not warn
you of an incorrectly set tyre pressure. The
table on the inside of the fuel filler flap will Operation
* optional
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Tyres and wheels
166 help you decide whether the tyre pressures
should be corrected.
The tyre pressure monitor is not able to
warn you of a sudden loss of pressure, e.g.
if the tyre is penetrated by a foreign object.
In the event of a sudden loss of pressure,
bring the vehicle to a halt by braking care-
fully. Do not make any sudden steering
movements when doing so.
i The operation of the tyre pressure moni-
tor can be affected by interference from
radio transmitting equipment (e.g. radio
headphones, two-way radios) that may be
being operated in or near the vehicle.
i If you are carrying a deflated tyre in the
vehicle, you may only reactivate the tyre
pressure monitor if:
R the deflated tyre is no longer in the vehi-
cle
R you have adjusted the tyre pressure cor-
rectly Calling up the tyre pressure by using
the on-board computer X
Make sure that the key is in position 2in
the ignition lock.
The standard display appears in the multi-
function display (Y page 100).
X Press the jork button to select the
tyre pressure function on the multi-function
steering wheel. The current tyre pressure for each wheel will
be displayed.
If the vehicle was parked for longer than
20 minutes, the following message appears:
Tyre pressure displayed only after
driving a few mins.
i
The tyre pressure values indicated by the
on-board computer may differ from those measured at a filling station with a pressure
gauge. The on-board computer will gener-
ally give a more accurate value.
Tyre pressure warning If the tyre pressure on one or more wheels
drops significantly, the following message
appears in the multi-function display:
The tyre pressure of the affected wheel(s) will
be displayed in a red rectangle. You will also
hear a warning tone.
Restarting the tyre pressure monitor
In most cases, the tyre pressure monitor will
automatically detect the new reference val-
ues, e.g. if you have:Operation
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Tyres and wheels
167
R
changed the tyre pressure
R changed the wheels or tyres
R fitted new wheels or tyres
If you wish to define the new reference values
manually:
X Use the table on the inside of the fuel filler
flap to ensure that the tyre pressure is set
correctly in all four tyres for the current
operating conditions.
Also observe the notes in the section on
tyre pressures (Y page 164).
X Make sure that the key is in position 2in
the ignition lock.
The standard display appears in the multi-
function display (Y page 101).
X Press the jork button to select the
Tyre pressure function on the multi-func-
tion steering wheel or wait until the follow-
ing message appears:
Tyre pressure displayed only after
driving a few mins.
X Press the reset button on the left of the
instrument cluster (Y page 96).
The following message appears in the
multi-function display:
Tyre pressure monitor
reactivate?
Yes No
X Press the æbutton on the multi-func-
tion steering wheel.
The following message appears in the
multi-function display:
Tyre pressure monitor restarted
The tyre pressure monitor has stored the
pressure of the tyres as a new reference
value.
If you wish to cancel the restart:
X Press the çbutton on the multi-func-
tion steering wheel.
The tyre pressure values stored at the last
restart will continue to be monitored. Interchanging the wheels
G
Risk of accident
Interchange the front and rear wheels only
if they have the same dimensions: for exam-
ple size, offset, etc.
After every wheel interchange/change,
have the tightening torque checked at a
qualified specialist workshop that has the
necessary specialist knowledge and tools
to carry out the work required. Mercedes-
Benz recommends that you use a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for this pur-
pose. In particular, work relevant to safety
or on safety-related systems must be car-
ried out at a qualified specialist workshop.
The wheels could work loose if they are not
tightened to a torque of 130 Nm.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use wheel bolts of the
correct size which have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
The wear patterns on the front and rear tyres
differ depending on the operating conditions.
Interchange the wheels before a clear wear
pattern has formed on the tyres. Front tyres
typically wear more on the shoulders and the
rear tyres in the centre.
Interchange the wheels every 5,000 km to
10,000 km depending on the degree of tyre
wear, provided that the vehicle has the same
size front and rear tyres. Do not reverse the
direction of tyre rotation.
Clean the contact surfaces of the wheel and
the brake disc thoroughly every time a wheel
is interchanged. Check the tyre pressure and
reactivate the tyre pressure monitor* if nec-
essary. Operation
* optional
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