warning MERCEDES-BENZ G500 2008 W463 Owner's Manual

Our company and staff congratulate you
on the purchase of your new
Mercedes-Benz.
Your selection of our product is a demon-
stration of your trust in our company
name. Furthermore, it exemplifies your de-
sire to own an automobile that will be as
easy as possible to operate and provide
years of service.
Your Mercedes-Benz represents the ef-
forts of many skilled engineers and crafts-
men. To help assure your driving pleasure,
and also the safety of you and your passen-
gers, we ask you to make a small invest-
ment of time:
Please read this manual carefully, then
return it to your vehicle where it will be
handy for your reference.

Please follow the recommendations
contained in this manual. They are de-
signed to acquaint you with the opera-
tion of your Mercedes-Benz.

Please pay attention to the warnings
and cautions containe d in this manual.
They are designed to help improve the
safety of the vehicle operator and oc-
cupants.
We extend our best wishes for many miles
of safe, pleasurable driving.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
A DaimlerChrysler Company
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Contents
Safety and Security........................... 67
Occupant safety................................... 68 Air bags .......................................... 70
Seat belts ....................................... 74
Children in the vehicle.................... 77
Blocking of rear door window
operation ........................................ 85
Panic alarm .......................................... 86 Activating ....................................... 86
Deactivating ................................... 86
Driving safety systems ... ...................... 87
ABS ................................................ 87
BAS ................................................ 89
4-ETS .............................................. 90
EBB................................................. 91
ESP®.............................................. 91
Anti-theft systems....................... ......... 95
Immobilizer..................................... 95
Anti-theft alarm .............................. 95
Tow-away alarm ............................. 97Controls in detail ............................... 99
Locking and unlocking ....................... 100 SmartKey ..................................... 100
Checking batteries in the
SmartKey ..................................... 103
Loss of the SmartKey ................... 103
Opening the doors from the
inside ........................................... 104
Tailgate ........................................ 105
Automatic central locking ............ 106
Locking and unlocking from the
inside ........................................... 107
Seats ................................................. 108 Removing and installing front
seat head restraints ..................... 108
Multicontour seat* ....................... 109
Rear seats .................................... 110
Seat heating ................................. 112
Memory function ............................... 114 Storing positions into memory ..... 115
Recalling positions from memory . 115
Storing exterior rear view mirror
parking position (Canada only) ..... 116 Lighting ............................................. 117
Exterior lamp switch .................... 117
Combination switch ..................... 122
Corner-illuminating front fog
lamps ........................................... 122
Hazard warning flasher ................ 124
Interior lighting in the front .......... 125
Rear interior lamps ...................... 126
Cargo compartment lamps .......... 127
Door entry lamps ......................... 129
Instrument cluster ............................. 130 Adjusting instrument cluster
illumination .................................. 130
Coolant temperature gauge ......... 131
Resetting trip odometer ............... 131
Tachometer.................................. 132
Outside temperature indicator ..... 132
Control system ............ ...................... 133
Multifunction display.................... 133
Multifunction steering wheel........ 134
Menus .......................................... 136
Standard display menu ................ 140
Audio menu.................................. 141
NAV menu .................................... 144
Vehicle status message memory
menu............................................ 144
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10 Introduction
Operator’s Manual
This Operator’s Manual contains a great
deal of useful information. We urge you to
read it carefully and familiarize yourself
with the vehicle before driving.
For your own safety and longer service life
of the vehicle, we urge you to follow the
instructions and warnings contained in this
manual. Ignoring them could result in dam-
age to the vehicle or personal injury to you
or others. Vehicle damage caused by fail-
ure to follow instructions is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Your vehicle may have some or all of the
equipment described in this manual.
Therefore, you may find explanations for
optional equipment not installed in your
vehicle. If you have any questions about
the operation of any equipment, any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center will be glad to demonstrate the
proper procedures.We continuously strive to improve our
product, and ask for your understanding
that we reserve the right to make changes
in design and equipment. Therefore, infor-
mation, illustrations and descriptions in
this Operator’s Manual might differ from
your vehicle.
Optional equipment is also described in
this manual, including operating instruc-
tions wherever necessary. Since they are
special-order items, the descriptions and
illustrations herein may vary slightly from
the actual equipment of your vehicle.
If there are any equipment details that are
not shown or described in this Operator’s
Manual, any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center will be glad to inform
you of correct care and operating proce-
dures.
The Operator’s Manual and Maintenance
Booklet are important documents and
should be kept with the vehicle.Service and warranty information
The Service and Warranty Information
Booklet contains detailed information
about the warranties covering your
Mercedes-Benz, including:

New Light Truck Limited Warranty

Emission System Warranty

Emission Performance Warranty

California, Maine, Massachusetts,
Vermont Emission Control System
Warranty (California, Maine,
Massachusetts, and Vermont only)

State Warranty Enforcement Laws
(Lemon Laws)
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14 Introduction
Operator’s Manual
Warning!G
This Sport Utility Vehicle is designed for both on-road and off-road use. It can go places and perform tasks for which conventi onal 2-wheel drive
passenger cars are not intended. This vehi cle will handle and maneuver differently from conventional passenger cars in driving conditions which
may occur on streets, highways and off-road use.
This vehicle has a higher ground clearance and a higher center of gravity than many passenger cars. As with other vehicles of t his type, if you
make sharp turns at excessive speeds or abru pt maneuvers, the vehicle may roll over or may go out of control and crash. Utility vehicles have a
significantly higher rollover rate than ot her types of vehicles. Failure to operate th is vehicle safely may result in an accident, rollover of the vehicle,
and severe or fatal injury.
Before you start to drive this vehicle, read the Operator’s Ma nual. Take time to become familiar with the driving characteristi cs of this vehicle. Be
sure you are familiar with all vehicle contro ls. Learn how your vehicle handles on different road surfaces. Do not attempt sharp turns at excessive
speeds or abrupt maneuvers or other unsafe driving actions that ca n cause loss of vehicle control. When driving off-road or working the vehicle
hard, do not overload it. And, a lways wear your seat belts at all times. In a ro llover crash, an unbelted person is significantly more likely to die than
a person wearing a seat belt.
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16 Introduction
Symbols
Trademarks:

ESP® is a registered trademark of
DaimlerChrysler.

HomeLink® is a registered trademark
of Prince, a Johnson Controls
Company.

BabySmartTM is a trademark of
Siemens Automotive Corp. The following symbols are found in this
Operator’s Manual:
* Optional equipment is identified
with an asterisk. Since standard
equipment varies between models,
the descriptions and illustrations in
this manual may differ slightly from
the actual equipment of your
vehicle.
This symbol points to instructions for
you to follow.
A number of these symbols appearing
in succession indicates a multiple-step
procedure.
 page This symbol tells you where to look for further information on a
topic.
This continuation symbol marks
a warning which is continued on
the next page.
This continuation symbol marks
a procedure which is continued
on the next page.
-> This symbol is used to indicate cross-references to term defini-
tions.
DisplayWords appearing in the multi-
function display are printed in
the type shown here.
Warning!G
Warning notices draw yo ur attention to haz-
ards that may endanger your health or life,
or the health or life of others.
!Highlights hazards that may result in dam-
age to your vehicle.
iHelpful hints or further information you may
find useful.
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17
Introduction
Operating safety
 Operating safety
Proper use of the vehicle
Proper use of the vehi cle requires that you
are familiar with the following information
and rules:

the safety precautions in this manual

the “Technical data” section in this
manual

traffic rules and regulations

motor vehicle laws and safety stan-
dards
Warning!G
Work improperly carried out on electronic
components and associated software could
cause them to cease functioning. Because
the vehicle’s electronic components are
interconnected, any modifications made
may produce an undesired effect on other
systems. Electronic malfunctions could
seriously impair the operating safety of your
vehicle.
See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center for repairs or modifications to
electronic components.
Other improper work or modifications on the
vehicle could also have a negative impact on
the operating safety of the vehicle.
Some safety systems only function while the
engine is running. You should therefore
never turn off the engine while driving.
Warning!G
Heavy blows against the vehicle underbody
or tires/wheels, for example when running
over an obstacle, road debris or a pothole,
may cause serious damage and impair the
operating safety of your vehicle. If you feel a
sudden significant vibration or ride distur-
bance, or you suspect that damage to your
vehicle has occurred, you should turn on
your hazard warning flashers, carefully slow
down, and drive with ca ution to an area
which is a safe distance from the road.
Inspect the vehicl e underbody and
tires/wheels for possible damage. If the
vehicle appears unsafe, have it towed to the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center or other qualified maintenance
or repair facility for further inspection or
repairs.
Warning!G
Various warning labels are attached to your
vehicle. These warning labels are intended
to make you and others aware of various
risks. You should not remove any of these
warning labels unless exp licitly instructed to
do so by information on the label itself.
Removal of any of th ese labels may cause
you and others to be unaware of certain
risks which may result in an accident and/or
personal injury.
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27
At a glance
Instrument cluster
ItemPage
1Speedometer with:
v
Electronic Stability Pro-
gram (ESP®) warning
lamp
91,
330
; Brake warning lamp,
USA only55,
326
3 Brake warning lamp,
Canada only55,
326
B Low beam headlamp in-
dicator lamp56,
118
H Low tire pres-
sure/TPMS malfunc-
tion telltale
1
1Depending on vehicle production date.
333
2LLeft turn signal
indicator lamp57
3Multifunction display with:133

Trip odometer131,
140
ItemPage

Main odometer140

Transfer case indicator170

Gear selector lever
position indicator164

Gear range indicator167

Status indicator:

Digital speedometer133

Outside temperature140

Clock133
4K Right turn signal
indicator lamp 57
5Tachometer with:
-Antilock Brake System
(ABS) indicator lamp87,
324
< Seat belt telltale74,
331
1 Supplemental
Restraint System
(SRS) indicator lamp68,
332
ItemPage
ú Engine malfunction
indicator lamp,
USA only328
±Engine malfunction
indicator lamp,
Canada only328
AHigh beam headlamp
indicator lamp57,
122
6Fuel gauge with:
Fuel tank reserve warning
lamp331
4 Fuel filler flap indica-
tor: The fuel filler flap
is located on the rear
right-hand side264
7Coolant temperature gauge131
8Reset button for:

Resetting trip odometer131

Resetting all settings146

Adjusting instrument
cluster illumination130
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30 At a glance
Center console
Upper partItemPage
1Seat heating, driver’s side112
2Windshield defroster switch180
3Rear window wiper/washer
switch60
4Electronic Stability Program
(ESP®) switch
93
5Differential lock switches175
6Central unlocking switch107
Central locking switch107
7Alarm system indicator lamp96
Tow-away alarm off switch97
8Seat heating, front passenger
side112
ItemPage
9Hazard warning flasher switch124
aFront passenger front air bag
off indicator lamp80,
335
bCOMAND system, see
separate operating
instructions
cClimate control182
dAshtray220
Cigarette lighter222
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38 Getting started
The “Getting started” section provides an
overview of the vehicle’s most basic func-
tions. First-time Mercedes-Benz owners
should pay special attention to the infor-
mation given here.
If you are already familiar with the basic
functions described here, the “Controls in
detail” section (
page 100) will help you
with further information. The correspond-
ing page references are located at the end
of each segment.
Unlocking
Unlocking with the SmartKey
SmartKey with remote control
1 ‹ Lock button
2 ΠUnlock button
3 Â Panic button (
page 86)
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. A child’s
unsupervised access to a vehicle could
result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
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39
Getting started
Unlocking
Press unlock button
Πon the
SmartKey.

All turn signal lamps flash once.

The locking knobs in the doors
move up.

The anti-theft alarm system is
disarmed.

The locator lighting comes on if the
feature is enabled in the control
system (
page 152).
Enter the vehicle and insert the
SmartKey in the starter switch.
For more information, see “Locking and
unlocking” (
page 100).
Starter switch positions
SmartKey
Starter switch
0 For removing SmartKey
The steering is locked when the
SmartKey is removed from the starter
switch.
1 Power supply for some electrical
consumers, such as seat adjustment
2 Ignition (power supply for all electrical
consumers) and driving position
All lamps (except high beam headlamp
indicator lamp and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instru-
ment cluster come on. If a lamp in the
instrument cluster fails to come on
when the ignition is switched on, have
it checked and replaced if necessary. If
a lamp in the instrument cluster
remains on after starting the engine or
comes on while driving, refer to “Lamps
in instrument cluster” (
page 324).
3 Starting position
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicl e, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. A child’s
unsupervised access to a vehicle could
result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
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