transmission MERCEDES-BENZ G500 2003 W463 Owner's Manual

ContentsDriving and safety systems .................. 71
ABS ................................................ 71
BAS ................................................ 73
4-ETS .............................................. 74
EBB................................................. 75
ESP ................................................. 75
Anti-theft systems................................ 79
Immobilizer..................................... 79
Anti-theft alarm .............................. 79
Tow-away alarm ............................. 80Controls in detail............................... 83
Locking and unlocking ......................... 84
Keys ............................................... 84
Opening the doors from the inside . 87
Tailgate........................................... 87
Automatic central locking .............. 89
Locking and unlocking
from the inside ............................... 89
Seats.................................................... 91
Easy-entry/exit feature .................. 91
Removing and installing head
restraints ........................................ 92
Synchronizing head restraints and
the seat adjustment fore and aft .... 93Multicontour seat* ......................... 94
Heated seats .................................. 95
Memory function ................................. 97
Storing positions into memory ....... 98
Recalling positions from memory ... 98
Storing exterior rear view mirror
parking position ............................. 99
Lighting.............................................. 100
Exterior lamp switch..................... 100
Combination switch ..................... 103
Hazard warning flasher ................ 103
Interior lighting............................. 104
Rear interior lamps....................... 105
Cargo compartment lamps........... 106
Instrument cluster ............................. 108
Instrument cluster illumination .... 108
Coolant temperature display ........ 108
Trip odometer .............................. 109
Tachometer .................................. 109
Outside temperature indicator ..... 110
Control system .................................. 111
Multifunction display .................... 111
Multifunction steering wheel ........ 112
Menus .......................................... 114
Standard display menu ................ 116
AUDIO menu ................................ 116NAVI menu ................................... 118
Malfunction memory menu .......... 118
Settings menu .............................. 119
Trip computer menu..................... 130
TEL menu ..................................... 132
Automatic transmission ..................... 135
One-touch gearshifting ................ 136
Gear ranges ................................. 137
Gear selector lever position ......... 138
Accelerator position ..................... 139
Emergency operation
(Limp Home Mode) ...................... 140
Transfer case ..................................... 141
Gear range ................................... 141
Switching transfer case ............... 141
Differential locks ............................... 143
A few words about differentials
and differential locks ................... 144
Switching differential locks on
and off ......................................... 145
Good visibility .................................... 147
Rear view mirror .......................... 147
Headlamp cleaning system .......... 148
Sun visors .................................... 149

Contents
Climate control .................................. 150
Setting the temperature ............... 152
Adjusting air distribution and
volume ......................................... 153
Defrosting .................................... 154
Air recirculation............................ 154
Rear window defroster ................. 155
Residual engine heat utilization.... 156
Deactivating the climate control
system ......................................... 156
Air conditioning ............................ 157
Rear passenger compartment
adjustable air vents ...................... 157
Power windows.................................. 158
Opening and closing the windows 158
Sliding/pop-up roof ........................... 160
Opening and closing the
sliding/pop-up roof ...................... 160
Driving systems ................................. 162
Cruise control .............................. 162
Rear Park Assist* ......................... 165
Loading.............................................. 168
Roof rack ..................................... 168
Cargo area cover.......................... 168
Enlarged cargo area ..................... 169
Split rear seat bench .................... 169Partition net* (MB Accessory) ...... 171
Loading instructions ..................... 173
Cargo tie-down rings ..................... 175
Useful features ................................... 176
Interior storage spaces ................. 176
Ashtrays........................................ 179
Cigarette lighter ............................ 181
Electrical outlet ............................. 181
Telephone* ................................... 182
Tele Aid ......................................... 183
Garage door opener ...................... 191
Heated steering wheel .................. 194
Operation.......................................... 195
The first 1000 miles (1500 km) .......... 196
Driving instructions ............................ 197
Drive sensibly – save fuel.............. 197
Drinking and driving ...................... 197
Pedals ........................................... 197
Power assistance .......................... 198
Brakes........................................... 198
Driving off ..................................... 199
Parking.......................................... 199
Tires .............................................. 200
Hydroplaning................................. 200Tire traction .................................. 201
Tire speed rating ........................... 201
Winter driving instructions ............ 202
Standing water ............................. 203
Passenger compartment............... 203
Off-road driving ............................. 203
Control and operation of radio
transmitters .................................. 210
Driving abroad .............................. 211
Catalytic converter ....................... 211
Emission control ........................... 212
Coolant temperature .................... 212
At the gas station ............................... 214
Check regularly and
before a long trip .......................... 215
Engine compartment .......................... 216
Hood ............................................. 216
Engine oil ...................................... 217
Transmission fluid level ................ 220
Coolant level ................................. 220
Windshield/rear window washer
system and headlamp cleaning
system .......................................... 222
Battery ............................................... 223

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

28 At a glanceCenter consoleLower part
Item
Page
1
Storage tray
2
Selector lever for
automatic transmission
43,
135
3
Transfer case switch
141
4
Parking brake
44,
50

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.

51 Getting started
Parking and locking
Switching off headlamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
M

(
page 46).
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (
page 100).
Turning off engine
Place the selector lever in positionP.

Turn key in the starter switch to
position0 and remove it.
The immobilizer is activated.

Press the seat belt release button
(page 41).
Allow the retractor to completely re-
wind the seat belt by guiding the latch
plate.
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 vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Children could release the parking
brake and/or move the selector lever from
positionP, either of which could result in an
accident and/or serious personal injury.Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the selector
lever not fully engaged in positionP is dan-
gerous. Also, when parked on an incline,
positionP alone may not prevent your vehi-
cle from moving, possibly hitting people or
objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP.
When parked on an incline, turn front wheels
towards the road curb.
iAlways set the parking brake in addi-
tion to shifting to position P.
On slopes, turn the front wheels to-
wards the curb.
iThe key can only be pulled out when:

it has been turned to position0 in
the starter switch


the gear selector lever for the auto-
matic transmission is in positionP


you are not braking with the service
brake
!With the key removed and the driver’s
door open, a warning sounds if the ve-
hicles exterior lamps are not switched
off.

83 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Seats
Memory function
Lighting
Instrument cluster
Control system
Automatic transmission
Transfer case
Differential locks
Good visibility
Climate control
Power windows
Sliding/pop-up roof
Driving systems
Loading
Useful features

135 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
Information for driving with an automatic
transmission is found in the “Getting start-
ed” section (
page 43).
Your transmission adapts its gear shifting
process to your individual driving style by
continually adjusting the shift points up or
down. These shift point adjustments are
performed based on current operating and
driving conditions.
If the operating conditions change, the au-
tomatic transmission reacts by adjusting
its gear shift program.The automatic transmission selects indi-
vidual gears automatically, dependent
upon


the selector lever positionD with gear
ranges4, 3, 2, 1 (
page 137)


transfer case position (HIGH or LOW)


the position of the accelerator pedal
(page 139)


the vehicle speed

136 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionThe current selector lever position and the
transfer case position (HIGH or LOW) ap-
pear in the tachometer display.
1Transfer case display
2Selector lever position/gear range When the selector lever is in positionD,
you can influence transmission shifting by


limiting the gear range


changing gears yourself
One-touch gearshifting
Even with an automatic transmission, you
can change the gears yourself when the
selector lever is in positionD.
Downshifting
Briefly press the 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 137).Upshifting

Briefly press the 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.
Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the selector lever out
ofP orN 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 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.iTo avoid overrevving the engine when
the 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.

137 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Canceling gear range limit
Press and hold the selector lever in the
D+direction until D reappears in the
tachometer display field.
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.
Gear ranges
With the selector lever in positionD, you
can limit the transmission’s gear range by
pressing the lever to the left (D-), and re-
verse the gear range limit by pressing the
lever to the right (D+).
The selected gear range will appear in the
tachometer display field. If you press on
the accelerator when the engine has
reached its rpm limit, the transmission will
upshift beyond any gear range limit
selected.
!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 that
the permissible engine speed is not ex-
ceeded.
Gear
range
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.