towing MERCEDES-BENZ G500 2003 W463 Owner's Manual

ContentsTires and wheels ................................ 224
Important guidelines .................... 224
Life of tire ..................................... 225
Direction of rotation ..................... 225
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 225
Rotating wheels............................ 226
Winter driving..................................... 228
Winter tires................................... 228
Block heater (Canada only) .......... 228
Snow chains ................................. 229
Maintenance ...................................... 230
Clearing the service indicator....... 230
Service term exceeded................. 230
Calling up the service indicator .... 231
Resetting the service indicator ..... 231
Vehicle care ....................................... 232
Cleaning and care of the vehicle .. 232Practical hints.................................. 237
What to do if … .................................. 238
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 238
Lamp in center console ................ 244
Messages in the display ............... 246Where will I find ................................ 268
First aid kit ................................... 268
Vehicle tool kit ............................. 268
Vehicle jack.................................. 269
CD-changer .................................. 269
Spare wheel ................................. 270
Unlocking/locking in an emergency .. 272
Unlocking the vehicle ................... 272
Locking the vehicle ...................... 273
Changing batteries in
the SmartKey ............................... 273
Fuel filler flap ............................... 274
Manually unlocking the
transmission selector lever .......... 275
Opening/closing in an emergency ..... 276
Sliding/pop-up roof ..................... 276
Brush guard* ..................................... 277
Lowering and raising brush guard 278
Replacing bulbs ................................. 279
Bulbs ............................................ 279
Replacing bulbs for front lamps ... 281
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps..... 286
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 289
Removal ....................................... 289
Installation ................................... 289Flat tire .............................................. 290
Preparing the vehicle ................... 290
Mounting the spare wheel............ 291
Battery............................................... 295
Charging the battery .................... 295
Disconnecting the battery ............ 296
Reconnecting the battery............. 296
Jump starting ..................................... 297
Towing the vehicle ............................. 299
Transporting the vehicle .............. 301
Towing the vehicle with
various faults ............................... 301
Front towing eye .......................... 302
Rear towing eye ........................... 302
Freeing a stranded vehicle ........... 302
Fuses ................................................. 303
Fuse box in passenger
compartment ............................... 303
Fuse box in battery box................ 303
Fuse box in front passenger
footwell ........................................ 304
Fuse box in middle tunnel ............ 305

81 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Arming tow-away alarm
When you lock your vehicle, the tow-away
alarm is automatically armed.
When you unlock your vehicle, the
tow-away protection disarms
automatically.
Disarming tow-away alarm
To prevent triggering the tow-away alarm
feature, switch off the tow-away alarm be-
fore towing the vehicle, or when parking on
a surface subject to movement, such as a
ferry or auto train.The switch is located on the center con-
sole.
1Tow-away alarm off switch
2Indicator lamp

Turn off the ignition and remove the
key.

Press upper half1 of the switch.
Indicator lamp2 in the switch lights up
briefly.

Lock your vehicle with the key.
The tow-away alarm remains disarmed un-
til you lock your vehicle again.
iYou cannot disarm the tow-away alarm
if the ignition is turned on.

176 Controls in detailUseful features
Useful featuresInterior storage spaces
Glove box
1Unlocked position
2Locked position
3HandleOpening the glove box

Pull handle to open.
The glove box is illuminated with SmartKey
in starter switch position1 or2 when
opening the lid.
Closing the glove box

Push lid up to close.
Warning!
G
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when stowing objects in the vehicle. Put lug-
gage or cargo in the cargo compartment if
possible. Do not pile luggage or cargo higher
than the seat backs.
Luggage nets cannot secure hard or heavy
objects.Warning!
G
Do not load items on the roof. It may cause
instability during some maneuvers which
could result in an accident.
Warning!
G
Keep compartment lids closed. This will help
to prevent stored objects from being thrown
about and injuring vehicle occupants during
an accident and sudden maneuvers.
iThe glove box can be locked and un-
locked with the mechanical key.

187 Controls in detail
Useful features
Roadside Assistance button
•
Located below the center armrest cover is
the Roadside Assistance button
•
.

Press and hold the button (for longer
than 2 seconds).
A call to a Mercedes-Benz Roadside As-
sistance dispatcher will be initiated.
The button will flash while the call is in
progress. The message
ROADSIDE AS-
SISTANCE – CONNECTING CALL
will ap-
pear in the multifunction display.
When the connection is established, the
message
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE –
CALL CONNECTED
appears in the multifunc-
tion display. The Tele Aid system will trans-
mit data generating the vehicle
identification number, model, color and lo-
cation (subject to availability of cellular
and GPS signals).
A voice connection between the Roadside
Assistance dispatcher and the occupants
of the vehicle will be established. When a
voice connection is established the audio system mutes and the message
TELE AID
– ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE CALL ACTIVE
ap-
pears in the multifunction display.

Describe the nature of the need for as-
sistance.
The Mercedes-Benz Roadside assistance
dispatcher will either dispatch a qualified
Mercedes-Benz technician or arrange to
tow your vehicle to the nearest
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center. For
services such as labor and/or towing,
charges may apply. Refer to the Roadside
Assistance manual for more information.
These programs are only available in the
USA:


Sign and Drive services: Services such
as jump start, a few gallons of fuel or
the replacement of a flat tire with the
vehicle spare tire are obtainable


Remote Vehicle Diagnostics: This func-
tion permits the Mercedes-Benz Road-
side Assistance dispatcher to
download malfunction codes and actu-
al vehicle data.
iThe indicator lamp in the Roadside As-
sistance button
•
remains illumi-
nated in red for approx. 10 seconds
during the system self-check after turn-
ing the key in the starter switch to
position2 (together with the SOS but-
ton and the Information button
¡
).
See system self-check (
page 184)
when the indicator lamp does not light
up in red or stays on longer than ap-
proximately 10 seconds.
If the indicator lamp in the Roadside
Assistance button
•
is illuminated
continuously and there was no voice
connection to the Response Center es-
tablished, then the Tele Aid system
could not initiate a Roadside Assis-
tance call (e.g. the relevant cellular
phone network was not available). The
message
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE –
CALL FAILED
appears in the multifunc-
tion display.

237 Practical hints
What to do if …
Where will I find ...?
Unlocking/locking in an emergency
Opening/closing in an emergency
Brush guard*
Replacing bulbs
Replacing wiper blades
Flat tire
Battery
Jump starting
Towing the vehicle
Fuses

299 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Towing the vehicle
Mercedes-Benz recommends that the vehi-
cle be transported with all wheels off the
ground using flatbed or appropriate wheel
lift/dolly equipment. This method is pref-
erable to other types of towing.
When circumstances do not permit the
recommended towing methods, the vehi-
cle may be towed with all wheels on the ground only so far as necessary to have the
vehicle moved to a safe location where the
recommended towing methods can be em-
ployed.
!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equip-
ment, with key in starter switch turned
to position0.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
Towing with sling-type equipment over
bumpy roads will damage radiator and
supports.
To prevent damage during transport,
do not tie down vehicle by its chassis or
suspension parts. Use the towing eyes.
Switch off the ESP (
page 76),
tow-away alarm (
page 80) and the
automatic central locking
(
page 128).
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, the selector lever must
be in position N and the key m us t be in
starter switch position 2.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, the vehicle may be
towed only for distances up to 30 miles
(50 km) and at a speed not to exceed
30 mph (50 km/h).
If the vehicle is towed with one axle
raised (observe instructions regarding
flexible drive shaft and propeller
shafts), the engine must be shut off
(key in starter switch position1). Oth-
erwise, the 4-ETS may become en-
gaged which may cause loss of towing
control.
!Do not tow-start the vehicle.Warning!
G
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, make certain that the key is in
starter switch position2.
If the key is left in the starter switch
position0 for an extended period of time, it
can no longer be turned in the switch. In this
case, the steering is locked. To unlock, re-
move key from starter switch and reinsert.
Always tow with a tow bar if:

the engine will not run


there is a malfunction in the power sup-
ply or in the vehicle’s electrical system
as that will be necessary to adequately con-
trol the towed vehicle.

300 Practical hintsTowing the vehicleWarning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the braking and steer-
ing systems. In this case, it is important to
keep in mind that a considerably higher de-
gree of effort is necessary to brake and
steer the vehicle. Adapt your driving accord-
ingly.iThe selector lever will remain locked in
positionP and the key will not turn in
the starter switch if the battery is dis-
connected or discharged. See notes on
the battery (
page 295) or on jump
starting (
page 297).
Manually unlocking of transmission se-
lector lever (page 275).
iTo signal turns while being towed with
hazard warning flasher in use, turn key
in starter switch to position2 and acti-
vate combination switch for left or right
turn signal in usual manner – only the
selected turn signal will operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the haz-
ard warning flasher will operate again.
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, note the following:
With the automatic central locking acti-
vated and the key in starter switch
position2, the vehicle doors lock if the
wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of
approx. 9 mph (15 km/h) or more.
To prevent the vehicle doors from lock-
ing, deactivate the automatic central
locking (
page 128).
Towing of the vehicle should only be
done using the towing eye. Never at-
tach tow cable, tow rope or tow rod to
vehicle chassis, frame or suspension
parts.

301 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Transporting the vehicle
When transporting the vehicle, you can use
the towing eyes for pulling the vehicle onto
a trailer or transporter. 
Move the gear selector lever to posi-
tion N.

Shift the transfer case to neutral posi-
tion N.

To avoid damaging the vehicle, it
should only be tied down on the
wheels / wheel rims, not on chassis
components such as the transverse
link or trailing arm.
Towing the vehicle with various faults
Comply with all towing information
(page 299).
I n c a s e o f e n g i n e d a m a g e , t r a n s m i s s i o n
damage or malfunctions in electrical
equipment

Move the gear selector lever to posi-
tion N.

Shift the transfer case to neutral posi-
tion N.In case of transfer case damage or for
towing vehicle distances exceeding
30 miles (50 km)
The propeller shafts to the drive axles must
be removed.
In case of front axle damage
Raise the front axle when towing. The pro-
peller shaft between the rear axle and the
transfer case must be removed.
In case of rear axle damage
When the rear axle is raised, the vehicle
can only be towed with a wheel lift or a dol-
ly placed under its front wheels.!When removing drive shaft, place M10
nuts on bolts as distance sleeves and
tighten using M8 nuts.
Always install new self-locking nuts
when reinstalling the drive shaft.

302 Practical hintsTowing the vehicleFront towing eye
In the front, the towing eye is located on
the driver’s side under the bumper.
1Towing eye
Rear towing eye
In the rear, the towing eye is located on the
driver’s side under the bumper.
1Towing eye
Freeing a stranded vehicle
Freeing a stranded vehicle, on which the
wheels are dug into sand or mud, should
be done with the greatest of care, especial-
ly if the vehicle is heavily loaded.
Avoid pulling the vehicle jerkily or diago-
nally, since it could result in damage to the
chassis alignment.
Never try to free a vehicle that is still cou-
pled to a trailer.
If possible, a vehicle equipped with trailer
hitch receiver should be pulled backward
in its own previously made tracks.

337 Index
Emergency tensioning device
see ETD 62, 326
Emission control 212
Emission control label 310
Ending
A call (telephone) 133
Engine
Compartment 216
Message in display 243
Starting with the key 44
Technical data 312
Turning off with the key 51
Engine cleaning 233
Engine compartment 216
Hood 216
Engine malfunction indicator lamp 25, 243
Engine number 326
Engine oil 217, 218, 317
Adding 220
Additives 317
Checking level 217
Consumption 218
Display messages 254
Filler neck 219, 220
Messages in display 218, 254
Viscosity 326Engine oil level see Oil level 215
Enlarged cargo area 169
ESP 25, 71, 75, 326
Messages in display 257
Switching off 76
Switching on 78
Warning lamp 238, 239
ETD 54, 62, 326
Safety guidelines 58
Exterior lamp switch 100
Exterior lamps
Delayed switch-off 125
Exterior rear view mirrors
Adjusting 38
Parking position for 130
F
Fahrenheit
Setting temperature units 122
Fastening the seat belts 40
Fine adjustment
Cruise control 164
First aid kit 268
Flat tire 290
Lowering the vehicle 294
Mounting the spare wheel 291
Spare wheel 270Flexible Service System (FSS) 230, 326
Fog lamp, rear 103, 280
Fog lamps
Replacing bulbs 279
Fog lamps, front 102
Messages in display 260
Switching on 102
4-ETS 71, 74
Front airbags 59
Front axle differential lock
Switching on 146
Front fog lamp
Replacing bulbs 283
Front lamps
Messages in display 259, 261
Replacing bulbs 279, 281
Switching on 100
Front seat head restraints
Installing 92
Removing 92
Front seats
Heater 95
Front towing eye 302
Front turn signal lamp
Replacing bulbs 284
FSS (Flexible Service System) 230, 326