2000 MERCEDES-BENZ M55AMG page 1

208 Driving systems
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
If one drive wheel loses traction and begins to spin, the
brake is applied until the wheel regains sufficient
traction.
Note:
Avoid spinning of one drive wheel. This may cause
serious damage to the drive train which is not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
The ESP warning lamp, located in the speedometer dial,
starts to f lash at any vehicle speed as soon as the tires
lose traction and the wheels begin to spin.
To return to the enhanced vehicle stability offered by
ESP: press lower half of the switch (the ESP warning
lamp in the speedometer dial goes out).
Important!
If the ESP warning lamp f lashes:
•during take-off, apply as little throttle as possible,
•while driving, ease up on the accelerator.LOW RANGE – ESP
During off-road driving a special low range system for
the electronic stability program (ESP) is operational
with transmission in LOW RANGE mode, see page 211.
In the LOW RANGE mode the electronic stability
program (ESP) operates in a traction improving fashion
specifically adapted for off-road driving. At speeds
below 27 mph (45 km / h) the ESP assists in over-/
understeering, thus improving vehicle tracking.

209 Driving systems
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Transmission control – LOW RANGE mode
The switch is located in the instrument panel.
Important!
When switching to or from the LOW RANGE mode,
observe the following:
•The vehicle must be at a complete standstill.
•The engine speed must not exceed 1500 rpm.Failure to do so may result in transmission / engine
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty
The LOW RANGE mode should be switched on:
•during off-road driving,
•when crossing waters.
For additional practical hints refer to off-road driving
on page 183.
Switching on:
1. Sto p t h e v e h i c l e .
2. Move transmission selector lever to position “N”.
3. Push top end of switch. The LOW RANGE indicator
lamp in the instrument cluster blinks slowly during
the changeover.
Once the changeover is complete, the indicator lamp in
the instrument cluster lights up continuously.
Note:
If the indicator lamp blinks fast, one or more switching
conditions were not observed, or the LOW RANGE mode
is defective.

212 What you should know at the gas station
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
What you should know at the gas station
Fuel supplyOpen f l ap by pu ll ing at rear (arrow). Turn f uel c ap to t he
left and hold on to it until possible pressure in tank has
been released, then remove cap. Failure to remove
slowly could result in personal injury.
The fuel filler cap is tethered to the fuel filler neck. Do
not drop the cap. It could damage the vehicle paint
finish.
Manual release of fuel filler flap, see page 274.
Important!
When refueling vehicle make certain that no gasoline
comes into contact with plastic taillamp, to prevent
damaging the lens.
Fuel
To prevent fuel vapors from escaping into open air, fully
insert filler nozzle unit.
Only fill fuel tank until the filler nozzle unit cuts out –
do not top up or overfill.
Wa r n i n g !
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous. It
burns violently and can cause serious injury.
Whenever you are around gasoline, avoid inhaling
fumes and skin contact, extinguish all smoking
materials. Never allow sparks, flame or smoking
materials near gasoline!

213 What you should know at the gas station
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Leaving the engine running and the fuel cap open can
cause the “CHECK ENGINE” lamp to illuminate.
Fuel tank capacity approximately 19.0 US gal (72.0 l).
This includes approximately 3.2 US gal (12.0 l) reserve.
Use premium unleaded gasoline: Posted Octane
Index 91 (Average of 96 RON / 86 MON).
•Engine oil
Engine oil level check, see page 89 and page 233.
Fill quantity between upper and lower dipstick
marking level: 2.1 US qt (2.0 l).
Recommended engine oils, see Approved Service
Products sheet.• Coolant
For normal replenishing, use water (potable water
quality).
For further information (e.g. anticorrosion/
antifreeze), see page 292.
• Spark plugs
Approved spark plugs, see page 290.
• Tire pressure
For tire pressure, refer to tire pressure label inside
the fuel filler flap. See page 250 for further details.
• Air conditioner
R-134a refrigerant and special PAG lubricant, see
page 294.
Wa r n i n g !
Overfilling of fuel tank may result in creating
pressure in the system which could cause a gas
discharge such as the gas spraying back out upon
removing the filler nozzle which could cause
personal injury.

215 Check regulary and before a long trip
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Check regularly and before a long trip 1Engine oil level
See “Checking engine oil level” on page 233 and
“Engine oil level indicator” on page 89.
2Coolant level
See “Coolant level” on page 234.
3Brake fluid
See “Brake fluid” on page 294.
4Windshield washer system/
Headlamp cleaning system/
Rear window washer system
For refilling reservoir see page 236.
Opening hood, see page 231.
Ve h i c l e l i g h t i n g : Check function and cleanliness. For
replacement of light bulbs, see “Exterior lamps” on
page 260.
Exterior lamp switch, see page 90.

218 Malfunction and indicator lamps
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Malfunction and indicator lamps
in the instrument cluster
General information:
If a bulb in the instrument cluster fails to light up
during the bulb self-check when turning the key in
steering lock to position 2, have it checked and replaced
if necessary.
On-board diagnostic system
Check engine malfunction indicator lamp
Engine malfunction indicator lamp. If the
“CHECK ENGINE” malfunction indicator
lamp comes on when the engine is running,
it indicates a malfunction of the fuel management
system, emission control system, systems which impact
emissions, or the fuel cap is not closed tight (check the
fuel cap). If the “CHECK ENGINE” lamp is illuminated
continuously and the vehicle is driving normally, you
may still drive the vehicle, however, in all cases, we
recommend that you have the system checked at your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center as soon
as possible.
If the “CHECK ENGINE” lamp comes on continuously
and / or the vehicle is not driving normally (e.g.
malfunction of the fuel management system or running out of fuel), serious damage can occur to the emission
system. Please contact your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center immediately.
The Sequential Multiport Fuel Injection (SFI) control
module monitors emission control components that
either provide input signals to or receive output signals
from the control module. Malfunctions resulting from
interruptions or failure of any of these components are
indicated by the “CHECK ENGINE” malfunction
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster and are
simultaneously stored in the SFI control module.
If the “CHECK ENGINE” malfunction indicator lamp
comes on, have the system checked at your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center as soon as possible.
With some exceptions, the control module switches off
the “CHECK ENGINE” malfunction indicator lamp if the
condition, causing the lamp to come on, no longer exists
during three consecutive cycles. See also page 220 for
fuel cap placement warning.
An on-board diagnostic connector is located in the
passenger compartment near to the parking brake
pedal, allowing the accurate identification of system
malfunctions through the readout of diagnostic trouble
codes.
CHECK
ENGINE

219 Malfunction and indicator lamps
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Brake warning lamp
When the brake warning lamp appears
while the engine is running, this means:
•there is insufficient brake fluid in the reservoir
(engine running and parking brake released), or
•the parking brake is set (engine running)
•the electronic brake proportioning (EBP) system is
malfunctioning.
Note:
If you find that the minimum mark on the brake fluid
reservoir is reached, have the brake system checked for
brake pad thickness and leaks.Supplemental restraint system (SRS) indicator lamp
The operational readiness of the airbag
system is verified by the indicator lamp
“SRS” in the instrument cluster when
turning the key in steering lock to position 1 or 2. If no
fault is detected, the lamp will go out after
approximately 5 seconds; after the lamp goes out, the
system continues to monitor the components and
circuitry of the airbag system and will indicate a
malfunction by coming on again.
See page 56 for notes on airbags, page 55 for belt
tensioners, and page 65 for infant and child seat
restraints.
Wa r n i n g !
Driving with the brake warning lamp illuminated
can result in an accident. Have your brake system
checked immediately if the brake warning lamp
stays on. Don’t add brake fluid before checking the
brake system. Overfilling the brake fluid reservoir
can result in spilling brake fluid on hot engine
parts and the brake fluid catching fire. You can be
seriously burned.BRAKE
Wa r n i n g !
In the event a malfunction of the “SRS” is indicated
as outlined above, the “SRS” may not be
operational. For your safety, we strongly
recommend that you visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center immediately to
have the system checked; otherwise the “SRS” may
not be activated when needed in an accident, which
could result in serious or fatal injury, or it might
deploy unexpectedly and unnecessarily which
could also result in injury.SRS

220 Malfunction and indicator lamps
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Fuel reserve warningWhen the warning lamp (1) comes on after starting the
engine, or if it comes on while driving, it indicates that
the fuel level is down to the reserve quantity of
approximately 3.2 gal (12 liters).
See page 212 for notes on refueling the vehicle.