2003 MERCEDES-BENZ G55AMG Owner's Manual

105 Controls in detail
Lighting
Deactivating
Press the
ñ
symbol on rocker
switch 3.
The interior lighting and the entry
lamps remain switched off in darkness,
even when you


unlock the vehicle


open a door


remove the key from the starter
switchManual control
Switching lamps on

Press the
ð
symbol on rocker
switch 3.
The interior lighting remains on even
when the doors are closed.
Switching lamps off

Move rocker switch 3 to center posi-
tion to activate the automatic control.
Rear interior lamps
The rear interior lamps are located above
the rear seat bench on the left and right
side.
1The lamps are switched on
continuously
2The lamps are switched off
3Automatic function
!To prevent the vehicle battery from be-
ing discharged, all interior lamps
switch off automatically after approxi-
mately 30 minutes with the tailgate
open.
If an interior lamp is switched on man-
ually, it does not go out automatically.
Before leaving the vehicle, make sure
that the interior lamps are switched off.
The rear interior lamps can be switched
on with the SmartKey in starter switch
position0 or key removed from the
starter switch for up to 30 minutes.

106 Controls in detailLightingCargo compartment lamps
Switching on and off
1Switch for cargo compartment lamps
Press button
ò
to switch the cargo
compartment lamps 2 on/off.2Cargo compartment lamps
Switching on and off with the tailgate
open
If the tailgate should remain open for a
longer period of time, the cargo compart-
ment lamps may be switched off separate-
ly.1Door lock
2Lock cylinder
Switching off

Open the tailgate.

Press door lock1 down until it clicks
into place (arrow).!Do not close the tailgate if the lock is
engaged in down position. The lock
could otherwise be damaged.
When locking the tailgate, it is impor-
tant that the door lock be in the same
position as shown in the illustration.

107 Controls in detail
Lighting
Switching on
Press lock cylinder2 to activate the
cargo compartment lamps again.
The cargo compartment lamps will
switch on.Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the tail-
gate opening when closing the tailgate. Be
especially careful when small children are
around.
Only drive with the tailgate closed as other-
wise exhaust fumes may enter the vehicle
interior.

108 Controls in detailInstrument cluster
Instrument clusterA full view illustration of the instrument
cluster can be found in the “At a glance”
section of this manual (
page 24).
1Reset knob
The instrument cluster is activated when
you:


open a door


turn on the ignition


press reset knob1


switch on the exterior lamps
You can change the instrument cluster set-
tings in the Instrument cluster submenu of
the control system (
page 122).
Instrument cluster illumination
Use the reset knob to adjust the illumina-
tion brightness for the instrument cluster.
To brighten illumination
Turn reset knob1 in the instrument
cluster clockwise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
brighten.To dim illumination

Turn reset knob1 in the instrument
cluster counterclockwise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
dim.
Coolant temperature display
iThe instrument cluster illumination is
dimmed or brightened automatically to
suit ambient light conditions.
The instrument cluster illumination will
also be adjusted automatically when
you switch on the vehicle’s exterior
lamps.
Warning!
G


Driving when your engine is badly over-
heated can cause some fluids which
may have leaked into the engine com-
partment to catch fire. You could be se-
riously burned


Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns and can occur just
by opening the engine hood. Stay away
f r o m t h e e n g i n e i f y o u s e e o r h e a r s t e a m
coming from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until it
cools down.

109 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position1 or2.

Call up the trip odometer and main
odometer by pressing button
è

or
ÿ
on the multifunction steering
wheel (page 112).

Press button
j
or
k
until the
coolant temperature display appears.During severe operating conditions and
stop-and-go city traffic, the coolant tem-
perature may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
The engine should not be operated with
the coolant temperature above 248°F
(120°C). Doing so may cause serious en-
gine damage which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Trip odometer
Make sure you are viewing the trip
odometer and main odometer
(page 111) in the multifunction dis-
play.

Press and hold the reset knob on the in-
strument cluster (
page 108) until the
trip odometer is reset.
Tachometer
The red marking on the tachometer de-
notes excessive engine speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated
within the red marking.
iExcessive coolant temperatures trigger
a warning in the multifunction display
(page 252).
!Avoid driving at excessive engine
speeds, as it may result in serious en-
gine damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

110 Controls in detailInstrument clusterOutside temperature indicatorThe temperature sensor is located in the
front bumper area. Due to its location, the
sensor can be affected by road or engine
heat during idling or slow driving. This
means that the accuracy of the displayed
temperature can only be verified by com-
parison to a thermometer placed next to
the sensor, not by comparison to external
displays (e.g. bank signs, etc.).When moving the vehicle into colder ambi-
ent temperatures (e.g. when leaving your
garage), you will notice a delay before the
lower temperature is displayed.
A delay also occurs when ambient temper-
atures rise. This prevents inaccurate tem-
perature indications caused by heat
radiated from the engine during idling or
slow driving.Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.

111 Controls in detail
Control system
Control system
The control system is activated as soon as
the key in the starter switch is turned to
position1. The control system enables you
to

call up information about your vehicle


change vehicle settings
For example, you can use the control sys-
tem to find out when your vehicle is next
due for service, to set the language for
messages in the instrument cluster display
and much more.
The control system relays information to
the multifunction display.
Multifunction display
1Trip odometer
2Main odometer
3Outside temperature
4Clock
1
5Current gear selector lever position
6Transfer case program mode
Warning!
G
A driver’s attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his /her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others, se-
lecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions per-
mit it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximate-
ly 13.5 m) every second.
1See separate operating instructions for the
COMAND system for clock setting.

112 Controls in detailControl systemMultifunction steering wheel
The displays in the multifunction display
and the settings in the control system are
controlled by the buttons on the multifunc-
tion steering wheel.Pressing any of the buttons on the multi-
function steering wheel will alter what is
shown in the multifunction display.
The information available in the multifunc-
tion display is arranged in menus, each
containing a number of functions or sub-
menus.
The individual functions are then found
within the relevant menu (radio or CD op-
erations under
AUDIO
, for example). These
functions serve to call up relevant informa-
tion or to customize the settings for your
vehicle.
1
Multifunction display in the speed-
ometerOperating the control system
2
Selecting the submenu or setting
the volumeç
down / to decrease
æ
up / to increase
3
Telephone*í
to take a call
ì
to end a call
4
Menu systemsè
for next menu
ÿ
for previous menu
5
Moving within a menuj
for next display
k
for previous display