trailer MERCEDES-BENZ G500 2006 W463 Owner's Manual

184 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Rear Parking Assist*
The Rear Parking Assist system is an elec-
tronic aid designed to assist the driver dur-
ing parking maneuvers. It visually and
audibly indicates the relative distance be-
tween the rear of the vehicle and an obsta-
cle.
The Rear Parking Assist system is auto-
matically activated when you switch on the
ignition and shift the gear selector lever to
positionR.The Rear Parking Assist system monitors
the rear area of your vehicle by means of
four sensors in the rear bumper.
1Sensors
Warning!G
Rear Parking Assist (rear Parktronic) is a
supplemental system. It is not intended to,
nor does it replace, the need for extreme
care. The responsibility during parking and
other critical maneuvers always rests with
the driver.
Special attention must be paid to objects
with smooth surfaces or low silhouettes
(e.g. trailer couplings, painted posts, or
street curbs). Such objects may not be de-
tected by the system and can damage the
vehicle.
The operational function of the Rear Parking
Assist can be affected by dirty sensors, es-
pecially at times of snow and ice. See
“Cleaning the Rear Parking Assist sensors”
(
page 286).
Interference caused by other ultrasonic sig-
nals (e.g. working jackhammers or the air
brakes of trucks) can cause the system to
send erratic indications, and should be tak-
en into consideration.
Warning!G
Make sure no persons or animals are in the
area in which you are maneuvering. You
could otherwise injure them.

185 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Range of the sensors
To function properly, the sensors must be
free of dirt, ice, snow, and slush. Clean the
sensors regularly, being careful not to
scratch or damage them.Minimum distance
The minimum distance between the sen-
sors and an obstacle is approximately
20 in (50 cm). If you encounter an obstacle
in this range, all the warning lamps come
on and you hear a warning signal. If the ob-
stacle is closer than the minimum dis-
tance, the actual distance may no longer
be indicated by the system. Centerapprox. 59.1 in (150 cm)
Cornersapprox. 40 in (100 cm)
!
During parking maneuvers, pay special
attention to objects located above or
below the height of the sensors (e.g.
planters or trailer hitches). The Rear
Parking Assist system will not detect
such objects at close range and dam-
age to your vehicle or the object may
result.
Ultrasonic signals from outside sourc-
es (e.g. truck air brakes or jackham-
mers) may impair the operation of the
Rear Parking Assist system.

256 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire and Loading Information
Tire and Loading Information placard1Load limit information on the Tire and
Loading Information placard
The placard showing the load limit informa-
tion is located on the driver’s door B-pillar.
Locate the statement “The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kilograms or XXX
lbs.” on this placard.
The combined weight of all occupants,
cargo/luggage and trailer tongue load
(if applicable) should never exceed the
weight referenced in that statement.Seating capacity
The seating capacity gives you important
information on the number of occupants
that can be in the vehicle. Observe front
and rear seating capacity.
Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are designated seating posi-
tions and seat belts available. Be sure ev-
eryone riding in the vehicle is correctly
restrained with a separate seat belt.
Warning!G
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit as indicated on the plac-
ard on the driver’s door B-pillar. Overloading
the tires can overheat them, possibly caus-
ing a blowout. Overloading the tires can also
result in handling or steering problems, or
brake failure.
i
Data shown on placard example are for
illustration purposes only. Load limit
data are specific to each vehicle and
may vary from data shown in the illus-
trations below. Refer to placard on ve-
hicle for actual data specific to your
vehicle.
i
Data shown on placard example are for
illustration purposes only. Load limit
data are specific to each vehicle and
may vary from data shown in the fol-
lowing illustration. Refer to placard on
vehicle for actual data specific to your
vehicle.

257 Operation
Tires and wheels
Placard
1Seating capacity
Steps for determining correct load limit
The following steps have been developed
as required of all manufacturers under Title
49, Code of U.S. Federal Regulations, Part
575 pursuant to the “National Traffic and
Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966”.
Step 1
Locate the statement “The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs.” on
your vehicle’s placard.Step 2
Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be
riding in your vehicle.
Step 3
Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from XXX kilo-
grams or XXX lbs.
Step 4
The resulting figure equals the avail-
able amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the “XXX”
amount equals 1400 lbs and there will
be five 150 lbs passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs
(1400-750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs).
Step 5
Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in step 4.Step 6 (if applicable)
If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be trans-
ferred to your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this reduces
the available cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle (
page 259).
The following table shows examples on
how to calculate total and cargo load
capacities with varying seating configura-
tions and number and size of occupants.
The following examples use a load limit
of 1500 lbs. This is for illustration
purposes only. Make sure you are using
the actual load limit for your vehicle stated
on the vehicle’s placard (
page 256).

258 Operation
Tires and wheels
The higher the weight of all occupants, the
less cargo and luggage load capacity is
available.
For more information, see “Trailer tongue
load” (
page 259).
ExampleCombined
weight limit
of occu-
pants and
cargo from
placardNumber of
occupants
(driver and
passengers)Seating
configura-
tionOccupants weight Combined
weight of all
occupantsAvailable cargo/luggage and trailer
tongue weight (total load limit or
vehicle capacity weight from
placard minus combined weight of
all occupants)
11500 lbs5front: 2
rear: 3Occupant 1: 150 lbs
Occupant 2: 180 lbs
Occupant 3: 160 lbs
Occupant 4: 140 lbs
Occupant 5: 120 lbs750 lbs1500 lbs - 750 lbs = 750 lbs
21500 lbs3front: 1
rear: 2Occupant 1: 200 lbs
Occupant 2: 190 lbs
Occupant 3: 150 lbs540 lbs1500 lbs - 540 lbs = 960 lbs
31500 lbs1front: 1Occupant 1: 150 lbs150 lbs1500 lbs - 150 lbs = 1350 lbs

259 Operation
Tires and wheels
Certification label
Even after careful determination of the
combined weight of all occupants, cargo
and the trailer tongue load (if applicable)
(
page 259) as to not exceed the permis-
sible load limit, you must make sure that
your vehicle never exceeds the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for ei-
ther the front or rear axle. You can obtain
the GVWR and GAWR from the
Certification label. The Certification label
can be found on the driver’s door B-pillar
(
page 255).Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): The
total weight of the vehicle, all occupants,
all cargo, and the trailer tongue load
(
page 259) must never exceed the
GVWR.
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR): The
total allowable weight that can be carried
by a single axle (front or rear).
To assure that your vehicle does not ex-
ceed the maximum permissible weight
limits (GVWR and GAWR for front and rear
axle), have the loaded vehicle (including
driver, passengers and all cargo and, if ap-
plicable, trailer fully loaded) weighed on a
suitable commercial scale.Trailer tongue load
The tongue load of any trailer is an impor-
tant weight to measure because it affects
the load you can carry in your vehicle. If a
trailer is towed, the tongue load must be
added to the weight of all occupants riding
and any cargo you are carrying in the
vehicle. The tongue load typically is ten
percent of the trailer weight and every-
thing loaded in it.
If an approved Mercedes-Benz trailer hitch
is available for your G-Class vehicle model,
consult the instructions included in the
trailer hitch kit for vehicle towing capacity,
permissible gross trailer weight, trailer
tongue weight rating, and instructions on
loading and towing a trailer.

274 Operation
Tires and wheels
DOT (Department of Transportation)
A tire branding symbol which denotes the
tire meets requirements of the
U.S. Department of Transportation.
GAWR (G
ross Axle Weight Rating)
The GAWR is the maximum permissible
axle weight. The gross vehicle weight on
each axle must never exceed the GAWR for
the front and rear axle indicated on the
Certification label located on the driver’s
door B-pillar.
GTW (G
ross Trailer Weight)
The GTW is the weight of the trailer plus
the weight of all cargo, equipment, luggage
etc. loaded on the trailer. GVW (G
ross Vehicle Weight)
The GVW comprises the weight of the
vehicle including fuel, tools, spare wheel,
installed accessories, passengers and
cargo and, if applicable, trailer tongue
load. The GVW must never exceed the
GVWR indicated on the Certification label
located on the driver’s door B-pillar.
GVWR (G
ross Vehicle Weight Rating)
This is the maximum permissible vehicle
weight of the fully loaded vehicle (weight of
the vehicle including all options, passen-
gers, fuel, and cargo and, if applicable,
trailer tongue load). It is indicated on
Certification label located on the driver’s
door B-pillar.
Kilopascal (kPa)
The metric unit for air pressure. There are
6.9 kPa to 1 psi; another metric unit for air
pressure is bars. There are 100 kilopascals
(kPa) to 1 bar.Maximum load rating
The maximum load in kilograms and
pounds that can be carried by the tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
The sum of curb weight, accessory weight,
vehicle capacity weight and production
options weight.
Maximum tire inflation pressure
This number is the greatest amount of air
pressure that should ever be put in the tire
under normal driving conditions.
Normal occupant weight
The number of occupants the vehicle is
designed to seat, multiplied by
68 kilograms (150 lbs).
Occupant distribution
The distribution of occupants in a vehicle
at their designated seating positions.

276 Operation
Tires and wheels
Treadwear indicators
Narrow bands, sometimes called
“wear bars” that show across the tread of
a tire when only
1/16in (1.6 mm) of tread
remains.
TWR (T
ongue Weight Rating)
Maximum permissible weight on trailer
tongue.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards
A tire information system that provides
consumers with ratings for a tire’s traction,
temperature and treadwear. Ratings are
determined by tire manufacturers using
government testing procedures. The
ratings are molded into the sidewall of the
tire.
Vehicle capacity weight
Rated cargo and luggage load plus
68 kilograms (150 lbs) times the vehicle’s
designated seating capacity.Vehicle maximum load on the tire
Load on an individual tire that is
determined by distributing to each axle its
share of the maximum loaded vehicle
weight and dividing it by two.Rotating tiresTire rotation can be performed on vehicles
with tires of the same dimension all
around. If your vehicle is equipped with
tires of the same dimension all around,
tires can be rotated, observing a a
front-to-rear rotation pattern that will
maintain the intended rotation (spinning)
direction of the tire (page 255).
In some cases, such as when your vehicle
is equipped with mixed-size tires (different
tire dimension front vs. rear), tire rotation
is not possible.
If applicable to your vehicle’s tire configu-
ration, tires can be rotated according to
the tire manufacturer’s recommended in-
tervals in the tire manufacturer’s warranty
pamphlet located in your vehicle literature
portfolio. If none is available, tires should
be rotated every 3 000 to 6 000 miles
(5 000 to 10 000 km), or sooner if neces-
sary, according to the degree of tire wear.
The same rotation (spinning) direction
must be maintained (
page 255).
Warning!G
Rotate front and rear wheels only if the tires
are of the same dimension.
If your vehicle is equipped with mixed-size
tires (different tire dimensions front vs.
rear), tire rotation is not possible.

360 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 - various problem
scenarios
Comply with all towing information
(
page 358).
In case of engine damage, transmission
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.

361 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Front towing eye
In the front, the towing eye is located on
the driver’s side under the bumper.
1Towing eyeRear towing eye
In the rear, the towing eye is located on the
driver’s side under the bumper.
1Towing eyeFreeing 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 should be pulled back-
ward in its own previously made tracks.