2003 MERCEDES-BENZ G55AMG length

37 Getting started
Adjusting
Steering wheelThe stalk is located on the steering column
(lower left).
1Steering column, lengthen or shorten
2Steering column, height

Turn the key in the starter switch to
position1 or2 (
page 33).
or

Open the driver’s door.Steering column, lengthen or shorten

Move stalk forward or back in the direc-
tion of arrow1 until a comfortable
steering wheel position is reached with
your arms slightly bent at the elbow.
Steering column, height

Move stalk up or down in the direction
of arrow2.
Make sure that your legs can move
freely and that all the displays (incl.
malfunction and indicator lamps) on
the instrument cluster are clearly visi-
ble.
Warning!
G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driv-
ing. Adjusting the steering wheel while driv-
ing, or driving without the adjustment
locked could cause the driver to lose control
of the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the starter switch, and lock your
vehicle.
The steering wheel adjustment feature can
also be operated with the driver’s door
open. Do not leave children unattended in
the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equip-
ment may cause an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
iThe memory function (
page 97) can
be used to save the steering wheel set-
tings together with the seat and exteri-
or mirror settings.

94 Controls in detailSeatsMulticontour seat*
Some models may be equipped with driv-
er’s multicontour seat. This seat has a
movable seat cushion and inflatable air
cushions built into the seat backrest to
provide additional lumbar and side sup-
port.
The seat cushion movement and amount of
seat backrest cushion height and curva-
ture can be continuously varied with regu-
lators on the right side of the seat after
turning the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position2.1Seat cushion length
2Seat backrest contour in the lumbar
area
3Seat backrest contour in upper back
area
4Seat backrest side bolsters

Check that the ignition is switched on.
All the lamps in the instrument cluster
should light up.
Seat cushion length

Adjust the seat cushion to the length of
your upper leg using switch 1.Backrest contour in the lumbar area

Adjust the contour of the backrest in
the lumbar area to the desired position
using switch 2.
Backrest contour in the upper back
area

Adjust the contour of the backrest in
the upper back area to the desired po-
sition using switch 3.
Backrest side bolsters

Adjust the backrest side bolsters so
that they provide good lateral support
using switch 4.

133 Controls in detail
Control system
Answering a call
When your telephone is ready to receive
calls, you can answer a call at any time. In
the display you will then see the message:
Press button
í
.
You have answered the call. In the dis-
play you see the length of the call.
Ending a call

Press button
ì
.
You have ended the call. In the display
you will again see the standby mes-
sage.Dialing a number from the phone book
If your telephone is ready to receive calls,
you may select and dial a number from the
phone book at any time.

Press button
ÿ
or
è
repeatedly
until you see the
TEL
menu in the dis-
play.

Press button
j
or
k
.
The control system reads the phone
book which is stored in the telephone.
This may take up to 30 seconds. In the
display you will see the message
PLEASE WAIT!
.
When the message
PLEASE WAIT!
dis-
appears, the phone book has been
loaded.

Press button
j
or
k
repeatedly
until the desired name appears in the
display.
The stored names are displayed in in-
creasing or decreasing alphabetical or-
der.

Press button
í
.
The system dials the selected phone
number.


If connection is successful, the
name of the party you called and
the duration of the call will appear
in the display.
iIf you press and hold
j
or
k
for
longer than one second, the system
scrolls rapidly through the list of names
until you release the button again.
Cancel the quick search mode by
pressing
ì
.

138 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission
Gear selector lever position
Gear
range
Effect
ç
The transmission shifts
through second gear only.
Allows the use of engine’s
braking power when driving

on steep downgrades


in mountainous regions


under extreme operating
conditions
æ
The transmission operates
only in first gear
For maximum use of engine’s
braking effect on very steep
or lengthy downgrades.
Effect
P
Park position
Selector position when the vehicle is
parked. Only place selector lever in
positionP when vehicle is stopped.
The park position is not intended to
serve as a brake when the vehicle is
parked. Rather, the driver should al-
ways set the parking brake in addi-
tion to placing the selector lever in
positionP to secure the vehicle.
The key can only be removed from
the starter switch with the selector
lever in positionP. With the key re-
moved, the selector lever is locked in
positionP.
R
Reverse gear
Place selector lever in positionR only
when vehicle is stopped.
Effect
N
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the en-
gine to the drive axle. When the
brakes are released, the vehicle can
be moved freely (pushed or towed).
Do not engage N while driving ex-
cept:

to coast when the vehicle is in
danger of skidding (e.g. on icy
roads) when the ESP is deactivat-
ed or malfunctioning


when you have to shift the trans-
fer case
D
Drive
The transmission shifts automatical-
ly. All five forward gears are avail-
able.

172 Controls in detailLoading3Lift tensioner
4Tie down
Lift tensioner3 on tie downs4 must point
in the direction of the arrow.5Hook
6Ring

Set the length of the tie downs4 and
lift tensioner3 to the rings6.

Insert tie down hooks5 in rings6.
Pull on loose ends of tie downs until net
is slightly tensioned.

Fold up seat bench until it locks in
place.
The partition net will be tightened by
the rear seat bench cushion.
After driving a short period, check the ten-
sion of the partition net, retighten if neces-
sary.Installation behind front seats
1Partition net
2Mounting

Fold rear seat bench fully forward
(page 169).

Engage partition net1 in holders2.

173 Controls in detail
Loading
3Lift tensioner
4Tie down
5Hook
6Ring
Lift tensioner3 must point in the direction
of the cargo compartment.
Set the length of tie downs4 and lift
tensioner3 to the rings6.

Insert tie down hooks5 in rings6.

Pull loose ends of tie downs4 until net
is tight.
After driving a short distance, check the
tension of the partition net, retighten if
necessary.Removing partition net

Lift tensioner upward to a horizontal
position to release tensioning of strap.

Disengage tie down hooks from rings.

Remove partition net from holders.
Storing partition net

Roll up partition net and secure it.

Store partition net behind rear seat
bench.
Loading instructions
The total load weight including vehicle oc-
cupants and luggage/cargo should not ex-
ceed the vehicle capacity weight indicated
on the certification label which can be
found on the left door pillar.
The handling characteristics of a fully load-
ed vehicle depend greatly on the load dis-
tribution. It is therefore recommended to
load the vehicle according to the illustra-
tions shown, with the heaviest items being
placed towards the front of the vehicle.

202 OperationDriving instructionsWinter driving instructions
The most important rule for slippery or icy
roads is to drive sensibly and to avoid
abrupt acceleration, braking and steering
maneuvers. Do not use the cruise control
system under such conditions.
When the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
move selector lever to positionN. Try to
keep the vehicle under control by correc-
tive steering action.Road salts and chemicals can adversely af-
fect braking efficiency. Increased pedal
force may become necessary to produce
the normal brake effect.
We therefore recommend depressing the
brake pedal periodically when traveling at
length on salt-strewn roads.
This can bring road salt impaired braking
efficiency back to normal. Be very careful
that you carry out these braking maneu-
vers without endangering any other road
users.
If the vehicle is parked after being driven
on salt-treated roads, the braking efficien-
cy should be tested as soon as possible af-
ter driving is resumed while observing the
safety rules in the previous paragraph.
For more information on winter driving
(
page 228).
iInformation on driving with snow
chains (
page 229).
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of control loss.
Do not engage the transfer case in position
LOW when driving on ice or packed snow. At
speeds below 18 mph (30 km / h) vehicle
steering is adversely affected by the LOW
RANGE – ABS (
page 72).
Warning!
G
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow, make
sure that snow is kept clear of the exhaust
pipe and from around the vehicle with the
engine running. Otherwise, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) gases may enter vehicle in-
terior resulting in unconsciousness and
death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation,
open a window slightly on the side of the ve-
hicle not facing the wind.Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
s i g n e d t o s e r v e a s a n i c e - w a r n i n g d e v i c e a n d
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose. In-
dicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road
surface is free of ice.

206 OperationDriving instructionsDriving in steep terrainSlope angle127°
236°

Comply with the warnings
(page 203) and rules for off-road
driving (
page 204).


Driving on embankments, slopes and
other steep inclines should only be
done straight up or downhill, i.e. in the
line of gravity. Maximum vehicle climb-
ing ability is a 80% grade.


Select gear range2 or1 on the auto-
matic transmission (
page 137).


Drive slowly.


Utilize the engine’s braking power
when descending a slope, observe the
engine speed (do not overrev the en-
gine). Apply the service brake as need-
ed.


Check the brakes after a lengthy down-
grade drive.
Traction in steep terrain
Be easy on the accelerator and watch for
continuous wheel traction when driving in
steep terrain.Driving across a hilltop
Decelerate just ahead of a hilltop (do not
select gear rangeN), to prevent the vehi-
cle from speeding up too much after climb-
ing a hill.
Use the momentum of the vehicle to drive
across the hilltop.
After climbing a hill, driving in this manner
prevents the vehicle from:


jumping across the hilltop


loosing its forward momentum.


speeding up too much after climbing
the hill.
iThe 4-ETS helps greatly when starting
out on a steep incline when the front
wheels have then the tendency to slip
due to the weight shifting away the
front axle.The 4-ETS recognizes the sit-
uation and limits the torque for the
front wheels by braking them. Simulta-
neously the torque for the rear wheels
is provided.