MERCEDES-BENZ G55AMG 2004 W463 Owner's Manual

151 Controls in detail
Differential locks
Rear axle differential lock
Press switch2.
The yellow engagement indicator
lamp4 comes on first, followed by the
red function indicator lamp5.
The rear axle differential lock is
switched on.
Front differential lock

Press switch 3.
The yellow engagement indicator
lamp4 comes on first, followed by the
red function indicator lamp5.
The front differential lock is switched
on. Switching differential locks off
There are two different methods to disen-
gage differential locks:


You can switch the differential locks off
in reverse order (3, 2,1).


To switch off all differential locks at the
same time:
Press switch1.
The yellow engagement indicator
lamps4 go out first. The red func-
tion indicator lamps5 go out
when the switching process has
been carried out in the differential.To activate the ESP, BAS and ABS systems,
drive again for three seconds using a con-
stant driving style.
All messages in the multifunction display
disappear. The ESP warning lampv
and the ABS- warning lamp in the in-
strument cluster go out.
iIf the function lamps do not go out
when the differential locks are disen-
gaged, bring vehicle to a stop and then
continue driving. Changing the vehicle
load can help to disengage locks. Warning!
G
Always remember to disengage the differen-
tial locks when returning to drive on paved
roads, see “A few words about differentials
and differential locks” (
page 149).

152 Controls in detailGood visibility
Good visibilityFor information on windshield wipers, see
“Windshield wipers” (
page 47) and for
setting the exterior rear view mirrors, see
“Exterior rear view mirror” (
page 38).
Rear view mirror
Automatic antiglare rear view mirrors
The reflection brightness of the exterior
rear view mirrors and the interior rear view
mirror will respond automatically to glare
when

the ignition is switched on, and


incoming light from headlamps falls on
the sensor in the interior rear view mir-
ror
The interior rear view mirror will not react if


reverse gear is engaged


the interior lighting is turned on
Warning!
G
The automatic antiglare function does not
react if incoming light is not aimed directly
at sensors in the interior rear view mirror.
The interior rear view mirror and the exterior
rear view mirrors do not react, for example,
if the cargo compartment is fully loaded.
Glare can endanger you and others.Warning!
G
Exercise care when using the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your in-
side rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.
Warning!
G
In the case of an accident, liquid electrolyte
may escape from the mirror housing if the
mirror glass breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not al-
low the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or the respiratory sys-
tem. In case it does, immediately flush af-
fected area with water, and seek medical
help if necessary.

153 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Activating exterior rear view mirror
parking position
Follow these steps to activate the mirror
parking position so that the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror will be
turned downward to the stored position.
Make sure you stored a parking posi-
tion for the passenger-side exterior
rear view mirror (
page 103).

Make sure the
MIRROR SETTING WHEN
PARKING
function, found under the
CON-
VENIENCE
submenu in the control sys-
tem, is switched to
ON (page 135).

Switch on ignition.

Press button2 for the passenger-side
exterior rear view mirror.

Place the gear selector lever in reverse
gear R.
The passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror will be turned downward to the
stored position.1Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
button
2Passenger-side exterior rear view mir-
ror button
The exterior rear view mirror returns to its
previously stored driving position:


10 seconds after you put the gear se-
lector lever out of position R


immediately once you exceed a vehicle
speed of approx. 6 mph (10 km/h)


immediately when you press button1
for driver’s side exterior rear view mir-
ror
Headlamp cleaning system
The switch is located to the left of the
steering column.
1Headlamp washer switch
Switch on ignition.

Press switch1.
The headlamps will be cleaned with a
high-pressure water jet.

154 Controls in detailGood visibilitySun visors
The sun visors protect you from sun glare
while driving.
1Sun visor
2Mounting

Swing sun visors1 down to protect
against sun glare.

If sunlight enters through a side win-
dow, disengage visor1 from inner
mounting2 and pivot it to the side.3Mirror cover
4Mirror lamp

Make sure the ignition is switched on
and that the sun visor is engaged in
mounting2.

Open mirror cover3.
Mirror lamps4 switch on.
Warning!
G
Do not use the vanity mirror while driving.
Keep the mirrors in the sun visors closed
while vehicle is in motion. Reflected glare
can endanger you and others.

155 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Rear window defroster
Turn the SmartKey in starter switch to
position2.
Activating
Press button F in the control panel
of the climate control.
The indicator lamp in the button comes
on.
Deactivating

Press button F in the control panel
of the climate control.
The indicator lamp in the button goes
out.
!Heavy accumulation of snow and ice
should be removed before activating
the defroster.
The defroster is automatically turned
off after approximately 6-17 minutes of
operation depending on the outside
temperature and vehicle speed.
If several power consumers are turned
on simultaneously, or the battery is
only partially charged, it is possible that
the defroster will automatically turn it-
self off.
When this happens, the indicator lamp
inside the switch starts blinking.
As soon as the battery has sufficient
voltage, the defroster turns itself back
on.
iThe rear window defroster uses a large
amount of power. To keep the battery
drain to a minimum, turn off the de-
froster as soon as the rear window is
clear.

156 Controls in detailClimate control
Climate control

157 Controls in detail
Climate control
Climate control panel
1
Windshield defroster air vents
2
Center air vent, adjustable
3
Thumbwheel for center air vent
4
Side air vent, adjustable
5
Side defroster air vent, fixed
6
Thumbwheel for side air vent
7
Footwell air vents
8
Climate control paneliFor draft-free ventilation, move the slid-
ers for the center air vents to the mid-
dle position.
1
Air volume
2
Temperature control, left
3
Temperature control, right
4
Air distribution control
5
Rear window defroster (
page 155)
6
AC cooling on / off (AC
OFF
)
Residual engine heat utilization
(REST)
7
Air distribution and air volume (auto-
matic mode)
8
Air recirculation
9
Defrosting

158 Controls in detailClimate controlThe climate control is operational whenev-
er the engine is running. You can operate
the climate control system in either the au-
tomatic or manual mode. The system cools
or heats the interior depending on the se-
lected interior temperature and the cur-
rent outside temperature.Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air en-
ters the passenger compartment through
the air distribution system.
The air conditioning will not engage (no
cooling) if the AC
OFF
mode is selected
(
page 162).
Setting the temperature
Use temperature controls2 and3 to
separately adjust the air temperature on
each side of the passenger compartment.
You should raise or lower the temperature
setting in small increments, preferably
starting at 72°F (22°C).
Warning!
G
When operating the automatic climate con-
trol, the air that enters the passenger com-
partment through the air vents in the
footwell can be very hot or very cold (de-
pending on the set temperature). This may
cause burns or frostbite on unprotected skin
in the immediate area of the air vents. Al-
ways keep sufficient distance between un-
protected parts of the body and the footwell
air vents. If necessary, change the air flow
using the air distribution controls to direct
the air away from the footwell air vents
(page 159).
Warning!
G
Follow the recommended settings for heat-
ing and cooling given on the following pag-
es. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others.
iIf the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate
the interior before driving off.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the
windshield free of snow and debris.iWhen operating the climate control
system in automatic mode, you will
only rarely need to adjust the tempera-
ture, air volume and air distribution.

159 Controls in detail
Climate control
Increasing
Turn the temperature control a few de-
grees to the right.
The climate control system will corre-
spondingly adjust the interior air tem-
perature.
Decreasing

Turn the temperature control a few de-
grees to the left.
The climate control system will corre-
spondingly adjust the interior air tem-
perature.
Adjusting air distribution and volume
Use air distribution control4
(page 157) to adjust the air distribution.
The following symbols are found on the
controls:Adjusting manually

Press theU button.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.

Select any of the six air volume speeds
and the air distribution.
Symbol
Function
a
Directs air through the center,
side and rear passenger com-
partment air vents
Z
Directs air to the windows
X
Directs air into the entire vehi-
cle interior
Y
Directs air to the footwells

160 Controls in detailClimate controlAdjusting automatically
Press theU button.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on. Air distribution and volume
are adjusted automatically.
Windshield fogged on the outside

Switch the windshield wipers on.

Switch to manual mode.

Turn the air distribution control
toa orY.
Defrosting
Activating
Press button P.
The indicator lamp in the button illumi-
nates.
The climate control automatically
switches to the following functions:

maximum blower and heat output


air distribution to the windshield
and the side windows


rear ventilation is turned off
Deactivating

Press the P button.
The indicator lamp in the button goes
out. Defrosting is turned off.
Air recirculation
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside. This setting cuts off the
intake of outside air and recirculates the
air in the passenger compartment.
Activating
Press button O briefly.
The indicator lamp in the button illumi-
nates.Warning!
G
When the outside temperature is below
41°F (5°C), only switch to air recirculation
mode for short periods to prevent window
fogging.