2002 MERCEDES-BENZ G500 Owner's Manual

206 Starting and turning off the engine
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Starting and turning off the engine
Before starting
Ensure that parking brake is engaged and that selector
lever is in position “P” or “N”. Turn electronic key in
starter switch to position 2.
Important!
In areas where temperatures frequently drop below -4
°F
(-20
°C) we recommend that an engine block heater be
installed. Your authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center will advise you on this subject, see page 225.
Starting
Do n ot de pr ess accelerato r. B rie f ly turn electron ic key in
starter switch clockwise to the stop and release. The
starter will engage until the engine is running.
If engine will not run, and the starting procedure stops,
turn electronic key completely to the left and repeat
starting the engine.
After several unsuccessful attempts, have the system
checked at the nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.Important!
Due to the installed starter non-repeat feature, the
electronic key must be turned completely to the left
before attempting to start the engine again.
Turning off
Turn the electronic key in the starter switch to
position 0 to stop the engine.
The electronic key can only be removed with the
selector lever in position “P”.
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207 Automatic transmission
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Automatic transmission
The automatic transmission selects individual gears
automatically, dependent upon•Selector lever position, see page 210
•Transfer case position “HIGH” or “LOW”
•Accelerator position
•Vehicle speed
The gear shifting process is continuously adapted,
dependent on the driving style, the driving situation
and the road characteristics.
Note:
For shifting differential locks, see page 253.
For shifting transfer case, see page 247.
Important!
When parking the vehicle or before working on the
vehicle with the engine running, firmly pull parking
brake lever up as many notches as possible and shift the
selector lever into “P”.
When starting of f on a slippery surface, do not allow one
drive wheel to spin for an extended period with the ESP
switched off. Doing so may cause serious damage to the
drive train which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
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208 Automatic transmission
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Driving
The selector lever is automatically locked while in
position “P”. To move the selector lever out of
position “P”, the service brake pedal must be firmly
depressed before the shift lock will release.
Shif t s elector leve r to t he d es ir ed pos ition on ly when t he
engine is idling normally and the service brake is
applied. Do not release the brake until ready to drive.
The vehicle may otherwise start creeping when the
selector lever is in drive or reverse position.Important!
After selecting any driving position from “N” or “P”,
wait a moment to allow the gear to fully engage before
accelerating, especially when the engine is cold.
Accelerator position
Partial throttle = early upshifting = normal acceleration
Full throttle = later upshifting = rapid acceleration
Kickdown (depressing the accelerator beyond full
throttle) = downshifting to a lower gear = maximum
ac celeration . On ce t he d es ire d s peed is attain ed , eas e up
on the accelerator – the transmission shifts up again.
Stopping
For brief stops, e.g. at traffic lights, leave the
transmission in gear and hold vehicle with the service
brake.
For longer stops with the engine idling, shift into “N”
or “P” and hold the vehicle with the service brake.
When stopping the vehicle on an uphill gradient, do not
hold it with the accelerator, use the brake. This avoids
unnecessary transmission heat build up.
Wa r n i n g !
It is dangerous to shift the selector lever out of “P”
or “N” 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 in
reverse. You could lose control of the vehicle and
hit someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when your
right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
O n s l i p p e ry ro a d s u rfa c es , n eve r d ow n s h i f t i n o rd e r
to obtain braking action. This could result in drive
wheel slip and reduced vehicle control. Your
vehicle’s ABS will not prevent this type of loss of
control.
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209 Automatic transmission
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Maneuvering
To maneuver in tight areas, e.g. when pulling into a
parking space, control the vehicle speed by gradually
releasing the brakes. Accelerate gently and never
abruptly step on the accelerator.
To rock a vehicle out of soft ground (mud or snow),
alternately shift from forward to reverse, while applying
slight partial throttle.
Rocking a vehicle free in this manner may cause the
ABS or traction system malfunction indicator lamp to
come on. Turn off and restart the engine to clear the
malfunction indication.
Wa r n i n g !
Getting out of your vehicle with the selector lever
not fully engaged in position “P” is dangerous.
Also, when parked on an incline, position “P” alone
may not prevent your vehicle from moving,
possibly hitting people or objects.Always set the parking brake in addition to shifting
to position “P”, see page 215 for parking brake. When parked on an incline, also turn front wheel
against curb.Wa r n i n g !
When leaving the vehicle always remove the
electronic key from the starter switch, and lock the
vehicle. Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could move the gear selector lever from
position “P”, which could result in an accident or
serious injury.
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210 Automatic transmission
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Selector lever position
1Transfer case indicator
2Gear range indicator
The current selector lever position is indicated in the
gear range indicator display (2). The automatic gear
shifting process can be adapted to specific operating
conditions using the selector lever.Park position
The park position is to be used when parking the
vehicle. Engage only with the vehicle stopped.
The park position is not intended to serve as a
brake when the vehicle is parked. Rather, the
driver should always use the parking brake in
addition to placing the selector lever in park to
secure the vehicle.
Notes:
The electronic key can only be removed from the
starter switch with the selector lever in position
“P”. With the electronic key removed, the selector
lever is locked in position “P”.
With a malfunction in the vehicle’s electrical
system the selector lever could remain locked in
position “P”. To unlock the selector lever
manually, see page 327.
Reverse gear
Shift to reverse gear only with the vehicle
stopped.
0
60
40100
120
140
mph
2080
P54.30-5170-26
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211 Automatic transmission
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Neutral
No power is transmitted from the engine to the
drive axle. When the brakes are released, the
vehicle can be moved freely (pushed or towed). Do
not engage “N” while driving except to coast
when the vehicle is in danger of skidding (e.g. on
icy roads, see winter driving instructions on
page 222).
Important!
Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any other
reason with selector lever in “N” can result in
transmission damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.The transmission automatically upshifts through
5th gear. Position “D” provides optimum driving
characteristics under all normal operating
conditions.
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212 Automatic transmission
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Gear selection for special circumstances
The transmission gear ranges for special circumstances
can be selected by pressing the selector lever to the
right or the left with the selector lever in position “D”.
The gear range currently selected is indicated in the
instrument cluster display.
Briefly press selector lever in the “D –” direction:
The transmission will shift from the current gear range
to the next lower gear range.
Press and hold selector lever in the “D –” direction:
The selector lever position display will switch to the
gear range currently selected by the automatic
transmission.
Shifting into another gear range that allows for quicker
acceleration or to slow the vehicle down is possible.
Downshifts can also be performed.Note:
To avoid overrevving the engine when the selector lever
is moved in “D –” direction, the transmission will not
shift to a lower gear range if the engine’s revolutions
per minute limit would be exceeded.
Briefly press selector lever in the “D +” direction:
The transmission will shift from the current gear range
to the next higher gear range.
Press and hold selector lever in the “D +” direction:
The transmission will shift from the current gear range
directly to gear range “D”.
Important!
With transmission in gear range “D”, “4” or “3”,
upshifting from 1st to 2nd to 3rd gear is delayed
depending on vehicle speed and engine temperature.
This allows the catalytic converter to heat up more
quickly to operating temperatures.
Wa r n i n g !
O n s l i p p e ry ro a d s u rfa c es , n eve r d ow n s h i f t i n o rd e r
to obtain braking action. This could result in drive
wheel slip and reduced vehicle control. Your
vehicle’s ABS will not prevent this type of loss of
control.
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213 Automatic transmission
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index During the brief warm-up period this delayed upshift
and increased engine noise might be perceived as a
malfunction. However, neither the engine nor
transmission are negatively affected by this mode of
operation.
The delayed upshift is effective with vehicle speeds
below 31 mph (50 km / h) at partial throttle and engine
temperatures below 95
°F (35
°C).
To prevent the engine from laboring at low RPM when
driving uphill gradients or with your vehicle heavily
loaded, the automatic transmission will downshift when
necessary to maintain engine RPM within the best
torque range.
For notes on driving the vehicle in transfer case
position “LOW”, see page 248.Gear ranges:
Upshift through 4th gear only. Suitable for
performance driving.
Upshift through 3rd gear only. Suitable for
moderately steep hills. Since the transmission
does not shift higher than 3rd gear, this gear
selection will allow use of the engine’s braking
power downhill.
Upshift through 2nd gear only. For driving in
mountainous regions or under extreme operating
conditions. This gear selection will allow use of
the engine’s braking power when descending
steep grades.
Use this position, which makes maximum use of
the engine’s braking effect, while descending
very steep or lengthy downgrades.
Note:
To avoid overrevving the engine on the rpm limit, the
transmission will upshift automatically to the next
higher gear range as long as the vehicle is accelerating.
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