engine oil MERCEDES-BENZ G500 2003 W463 User Guide

220 OperationEngine compartmentAdding engine oil
Unscrew cap2 from the filler neck.

Add oil. Be careful not to overfill with
oil.
Be careful not to spill any oil when adding.
Avoid environmental damage caused by oil
coming into contact with the ground or wa-
ter.

Screw cap2 back on the filler neck.
Transmission fluid level
The transmission fluid level does not need
to be checked. The transmission has a per-
manent supply of automatic transmission
fluid.
If you notice transmission fluid loss or gear
shifting malfunctions, have an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center check
the automatic transmission.Coolant level
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze.
When checking the coolant level

the vehicle must be parked on level
ground


the engine must be cool. The coolant
level should reach the COLD LEVEL
mark in the reservoir.
!Excessive oil must be siphoned or
drained off. It could cause damage to
the engine and catalytic converter not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
The oil dipstick1 tube allows for drain-
ing of oil by using a suction device.
Warning!
G
In order to avoid any possibly serious burns:

Use extreme caution when opening the
hood if there are any signs of steam or
coolant leaking from the cooling system,
or if the coolant temperature display in-
dicates that the coolant is overheated.


Do not remove pressure cap on coolant
reservoir if engine temperature is above
194°F (90°C). Allow engine to cool
down before removing cap. The coolant
reservoir contains hot fluid and is under
pressure.


Using a rag, slowly open the cap approx-
imately
1⁄2turn to relieve excess pres-
sure. If opened immediately, scalding
hot fluid and steam will be blown out un-
der pressure.


Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine
parts. Antifreeze contains ethylene gly-
col which may burn if it comes into con-
tact with hot engine parts.

231 Operation
Maintenance
Calling up the service indicator
Switch ignition on.
The standard display of the control sys-
tem appears (
page 111).

Press button
k
or
j
on the mul-
tifunction steering wheel until the FSS
indicator appears in the multifunction
display.
Resetting the service indicator
In the event that the service on your vehi-
cle is not carried out by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center, you
can reset the service indicator yourself.
Switch ignition on.
The standard display of the control sys-
tem appears (
page 111).

Press button
k
or
j
on the mul-
tifunction steering wheel until the FSS
indicator appears in the multifunction
display.

Press the reset knob (
page 230) for
about four seconds.
This message appears in the tachome-
ter:
DO YOU WANT TO RESET SERVICE INTER-
VAL? CONFIRM BY PRESSING R

To confirm, hold down the reset knob
(page 230) until you hear a signal.
The service indicator now displays the
reset interval.
iIf the vehicle battery is disconnected,
the days of disconnection will not be in-
cluded in the count shown by the ser-
vice indicator. To arrive at the true
service deadline, you will need to sub-
tract these days from the days shown
in the service indicator.
Do not confuse the service indicator
with the engine oil level indicator
:
.
iIf the service indicator was inadvertent-
ly reset, have a Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center correct it.
Only reset if the proper service has
been performed. Resetting the system
without performing proper service as
called for by the FSS will cause the FSS
to incorrectly determine the next ser-
vice interval which will result in engine
damage not covered by the Mer-
cedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

254 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display
Possible cause
Suggested solution
Category
Ñ
CRUISE CONTROL
VISIT WORKSHOP!
Cruise control is malfunctioning.

Visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
2
J
DOOR OPEN!
You are attempting to drive with one
or more doors open.

Close the doors.
1
e
ENGINE AIR FILTER
VISIT WORKSHOP!
The engine filter is clogged and must
be replaced.

Visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center as soon as possible.
2
:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
STOP, ENGINE OFF!
There is no oil in the engine. There is
a danger of engine damage.
See also comments on the following
page.

Carefully bring the vehicle to a
halt as soon as possible.

Turn off the engine.

Add engine oil and check the
engine oil level (
page 218).
1
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
CHECK LEVEL!
The engine oil level is too low.
See also comments on the following
page.

Check the engine oil level
(page 218) and add oil as re-
quired.
2
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
REDUCE OIL LEVEL!
You have added too much engine oil.
There is a risk of damaging the en-
gine or the catalytic converter.
See also comments on the following
page.

Have oil siphoned. Observe all
legal requirements with re-
spect to its disposal.
2

255 Practical hints
What to do if …
When the ENGINE OIL LEVEL – CHECK
LEVEL! message appears while the engine
is running and at operating temperature,
the engine oil level has dropped to approx-
imately the minimum mark on the dipstick.
When this occurs, the warning will first
come on intermittently and then stay on if
the oil level drops further.If no oil leaks are noted, continue to drive
to the nearest service station where the
engine oil should be topped to the “full”
mark on the dipstick with an approved oil.:
ENGINE OIL
VISIT WORKSHOP!
The engine oil has dropped to a crit-
ical level.

Check the engine oil level
(page 218) and add oil as re-
quired.

If you must add engine oil fre-
quently, have the engine
checked for possible leaks.
2
There is water in the oil.

Have the oil checked.
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
VISIT WORKSHOP!
The measuring system is malfunc-
tioning.

Have the measuring system
checked by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
2
Display
Possible cause
Suggested solution
Category
!The engine oil level warnings should
not be ignored. Extended driving with
the symbol displayed could result in se-
rious engine damage that is not cov-
ered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

316 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.Capacities
Vehicle components and their respective
lubricants must match.Therefore use only brands tested and rec-
ommended by Mercedes-Benz.Please refer to the Factory Approved Ser-
vice Products pamphlet, or inquire at your
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Engine with oil filter
G500
G55AMG
8.5 US qt (8.0 l)
8.0 US qt (7.5 l)
Recommended engine oils
Automatic transmission
9.0 US qt (8.5 l)
MB Automatic Transmission Fluid
1
1MB part no. 001 989 21 03 10Transfer case
2.96 US qt (2.8 l)
MB part no. A 001 989 28 03 10
Differential lock mechanism
0.47 - 0.63 US qt
(0.45 - 0.6 l)
Brake fluid DOT 3+4, SAE J1703
Front axle
1.5 US qt (1.4 l)
Hypoid gear oil SAE 90, 85 W 90
Rear axle
1.9 US qt (1.8 l)
Hypoid gear oil SAE 90, 85 W 90
Power steering
approx. 1.06 US qt (1.0 l)
MB Power Steering Fluid, or
approved Dextron III ATF
Front wheel hubs
approx. 1.5 oz (43 g) each
High temperature roller bearing grease
Brake system
approx. 0.53 US qt (0.5 l)
MB Brake Fluid (DOT 4+)
Fuel tank
including a reserve of
25.4 US gal (96.0 l)
5.3 US gal (20.0 l)
Premium unleaded gasoline:
Posted Octane 91
(average of 96 RON / 86 MON)

317 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines. Therefore, use
only engine oils recommended by
Mercedes-Benz. Information on recom-
mended brands is available in the Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet, or at
your authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
Please follow FSS and Service Booklet rec-
ommendations for scheduled oil changes.
F ai lu re to d o s o could res ul t in engi ne da m -
age not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Engine oil additives
Do not blend oil additives with engine oil.
They may be harmful to the engine opera-
tion.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from
blending oil additives are not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Air conditioning refrigerant
R-134a (HFC) refrigerant and special PAG
lubricating oil is used in the air condition-
ing system.
Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral-based lu-
bricating oil, otherwise damage to the
system will occur.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Cooling system
approx. 12.7 US qt (12.0 l)
MB Anticorrosion/Antifreeze
Air conditioning system
R-134a refrigerant and
special PAG lubricant oil (never R-12)
Windshield/rear window washer system
and headlamp cleaning system
approx. 7.9 US qt (7.5 l)
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate
and water
1
1Use MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and water for temperatures above freezing or MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and commercially available pre-
mixed windshield washer solvent / antifreeze for temperatures below freezing. Follow suggested mixing ratios (
page 321).

318 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.Brake fluid
During vehicle operation, the boiling point
of the brake fluid is continuously reduced
through the absorption of moisture from
the atmosphere. Under extremely strenu-
ous operating conditions, this moisture
content can lead to the formation of bub-
bles in the system, thus reducing the sys-
tem’s efficiency.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be re-
placed every two years, preferably in the
spring.
Only brake fluid approved by
Mercedes-Benz is recommended. Your au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Cen-
ter will provide you with additional
information.
Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel requirements
Use only premium unleaded meeting
ASTM standard D 439:

The octane number (posted at the
pump) must be 91 min. It is an average
of both the Research (R) octane num-
ber and the Motor (M) octane number:
(R+M) / 2). This is also known as the
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates
such as ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be
used provided the ratio of any one of these
oxygenates to gasoline does not exceed
10%; MTBE not to exceed 15%.
The ratio of methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional cosolvents.
Using mixtures of ethanol and methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains 10%
ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline, can be
used.
These blends must also meet all other fuel
requirements, such as resistance to spark
knock, boiling range, vapor pressure etc..
!To maintain the engine’s durability and
performance, premium unleaded gaso-
line must be used. If premium unleaded
is not available and low octane fuel is
used, follow these precautions:

Have the fuel tank only partially
filled with unleaded regular and fill
up with premium unleaded as soon
as possible.


Avoid full throttle driving and abrupt
acceleration.


Do not exceed an engine speed of
3000 rpm if the vehicle is loaded
with a light load such as two per-
sons and no luggage.


Do not exceed
2⁄3 of maximum ac-
celerator pedal position if the vehi-
cle is fully loaded or operating in
mountainous terrain.

319 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among engine manufac-
turers is carbon build-up caused by gaso-
line. Mercedes-Benz recommends only the
use of quality gasoline containing additives
that prevent the build up of carbon depos-
its.
After an extended period of using fuels
without such additives, carbon deposits
can build up especially on the intake valves
and in the combustion area, leading to en-
gine performance problems such as:

Warm-up hesitation


Unstable idle


Knocking/pinging


Misfire


Power loss
Do not blend other specific fuel additives
with fuel. This only results in unnecessary
cost and may be harmful to the engine op-
eration.Damage or malfunctions resulting from
poor fuel quality or from blending specific
fuel additives are not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Coolants
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion / antifreeze, which pro-
vides:

Corrosion protection


Freeze protection


Boiling protection (by increasing the
boiling point)
The cooling system was filled at the factory
with a coolant providing freeze protection
to approximately -35°F (-37°C) and corro-
sion protection.
If the antifreeze mixture is effective to
-22°F (-30°C), the boiling point of the cool-
ant in the pressurized cooling system is
reached at approximately 266°F (130°C).The coolant solution must be used year
round to provide the necessary corrosion
protection and increase in the boil-over
protection. You should have it replaced
every 3 years.
To provide important corrosion protection,
the solution must be at least 45% anticor-
rosion/antifreeze (equivalent to freeze
protection to approx. - 22°F [-30°C]).
If you use a solution that is more than 55%
anticorrosion/antifreeze (freeze protec-
tion to approx. - 49°F [-45°C]), the engine
temperature will increase due to the lower
heat transfer capability of the solution.
Therefore, do not use more than this
amount of anticorrosion/antifreeze.
If the coolant level is low, water and MB
anticorrosion /antifreeze should be used
to bring it up to the proper level (have cool-
ing system checked for signs of leakage).
Please make sure that the mixture is in ac-
cordance with label instructions.
The water in the cooling system must meet
minimum requirements, which are usually
satisfied by normal drinking water. If you

326 Technical termsDifferential locks
On slippery surfaces, differential locks
prevent one wheel of an axle from spin-
ning while the other wheel stands still,
resulting in driving force no longer be-
ing transferred.
Cruise control
Driving convenience system for auto-
matically maintaining the vehicle speed
set by the driver.
Engine number
The number set by the manufacturer
and placed on the cylinder block to
uniquely identify each engine pro-
duced.
Engine oil viscosity
Measurement for the inner friction (vis-
cosity) of the oil at different tempera-
tures. The higher the temperature an
oil can tolerate without becoming thin,
or the lower the temperature it can tol-
erate without becoming viscous, the
better the viscosity.ESP
(E
lectronic S
tability Pr
ogram)
Improves vehicle handling and direc-
tional stability.
ETD
(E
mergency T
ensioning D
evice)
Device which deploys in certain frontal
and rear collisions exceeding the sys-
tem's threshold to tighten the seat
belts.
->SRS
FSS
(F
lexible S
ervice S
ystem)
Service indicator in the speedometer
display that informs the driver when
the next vehicle maintenance service is
due.
Gear range
Number of gears which are available to
the automatic transmission for shifting.
The automatic gear shifting process
can be adapted to specific operating
conditions using the selector lever.GPS
(G
lobal P
ositioning S
ystem)
Satellite-based system for relaying
geographic location information to and
from vehicles equipped with special re-
ceivers. Employs CD digital maps for
navigation.
Instrument cluster
The displays and indicator/warning
lamps in the driver’s field of vision, in-
cluding the tachometer, speedometer,
engine temperature and fuel gauge.
Kickdown
Depressing the accelerator past the
point of resistance shifts the transmis-
sion down to the lowest possible gear.
This very quickly accelerates the vehi-
cle and should not be used for normal
acceleration needs.
Line of fall
The direct line that an object moves
downhill when influenced by the force
of gravity alone.

331 Index
A
ABS 25, 71, 325
LOW RANGE mode 72
Malfunction indicator lamp 240
Messages in display 247
Warning lamp 240
Accelerator position, automatic
transmission 139
Accident
In case of 49
Activating
Air conditioning (cooling) 157
Air recirculation mode 154
Anti-theft alarm system 79
Central locking (control system) 128
Defrost 154
Easy-entry/exit feature 128
ESP 78
Exterior headlamps 46
Exterior lamps 101
Exterior rear view mirror parking
position 148
Hazard warning flasher 104
Headlamps 46
High beams 103
Ignition 33Rear fog lamp 101
Rear window defroster 155
Seat heater, front 95
Seat heater, rear 96
Windshield wipers 47
Adding
Coolant 221
Engine oil 220
Additional turn signals 279
Adjusting 34
Air distribution 153
Air volume 153
Backrest tilt 36
Exterior rear view mirror 38
Head restraint height 36
Head restraint tilt 36
Inside rear view mirror 38
Instrument cluster illumination 108
Mirrors 38
Multicontour seat* 94
Seat cushion length 94
Seat cushion tilt 36
Seat fore and aft adjustment 35
Seat height 36
Seats 34
Steering column height 37Steering column length 37
Steering wheel 37
Air conditioning (cooling)
Turning off 157
Turning on 157
Air conditioning refrigerant 317
Air distribution
Adjusting 153
Air pressure see Tire inflation pressure
Air recirculation mode 154
Activating 154
Deactivating 154
Air volume
Adjusting 153
AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp 244
Airbags 55
BabySmart
TM airbag deactivation
system 325
BabySmartTM deactivation system 65
Front 59
Safety guidelines 58
Alarm
Audible 70, 80
Canceling 80
Visual 79