2003 MERCEDES-BENZ G55AMG engine oil

218 OperationEngine compartmentChecking engine oil level
When checking the oil level the vehicle
must

be parked on level ground


be at normal operating temperature


have been stationary for at least five
minutes with the engine turned off
With the operating system
You can check the engine oil level on the
multifunction display.

Turn the key in the starter switch to
position2.
The standard display (
page 111) should
appear in the multifunction display.

Press button
k
or
j
on the
steering wheel until the following mes-
sage is seen in the multifunction dis-
play:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL - MEASUREMENT IN
PROCESS! MEASUREMENT CORRECT ONLY
IF VEH. LEVEL
After about three seconds, this mes-
sage is displayed:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL –
MEASURING NOW!
One of the following messages will sub-
sequently appear in the indicator:

ENGINE OIL LEVEL – OK



ENGINE OIL LEVEL – ADD 1.0 QUART
(1.0 LITER)!


ENGINE OIL LEVEL – ADD 1.5 QUART
(1.5 LITER)!


ENGINE OIL LEVEL – ADD 2.0 QUART
(2.0 LITER)!
Other display messages
If there is excessive engine oil with the en-
gine at normal operating temperature, the
following message will appear: ENGINE OIL LEVEL – REDUCE OIL LEVEL! 
Have excess oil siphoned.
If the key is not turned to position2 in the
starter switch:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL – SWITCH ON IGNITION!
Switch on the ignition.
iIf you want to cancel the measuring
process, press the
k
or
j
but-
tons on the multifunction steering
wheel.
!Excessive oil must be siphoned or
drained off. It could cause damage to
the engine and catalytic converter not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
The oil dipstick tube allows for draining
of oil by using a suction device
(page 219).

219 Operation
Engine compartment
If you see the messageOBSERVE WAITING PERIOD 
If engine is at normal operating temper-
ature, wait five minutes before repeat-
ing check procedure.

If the engine is not yet at normal oper-
ating temperature, wait 30 minutes be-
fore repeating check procedure.
If you see the message:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL – NOT WHEN ENGINE ON 
Turn off the engine. If engine is at nor-
mal operating temperature, wait five
minutes before checking oil. If the en-
gine is not yet at normal operating tem-
perature, you must wait 30 minutes
before checking oil.
More information on engine oil can be
found in the “Technical data” section
(
page 316).With the dipstick
1Oil dipstick
2Oil filler cap

Remove oil dipstick1.

Wipe oil dipstick1 clean.

Fully insert oil dipstick1 in tube, and
remove after three seconds to obtain
accurate reading.
Oil dipstick
The oil level is correct when it is be-
tween the lower (min) and upper (max)
mark of the dipstick.

Add engine oil if necessary.iFill quantity between upper and lower
dipstick marking, the level is approxi-
mately 2.1 US qt (2.0 l).

220 OperationEngine compartmentAdding engine oil
Unscrew cap2 from the filler neck.

Add oil. Be careful not to overfill with
oil.
Be careful not to spill any oil when adding.
Avoid environmental damage caused by oil
coming into contact with the ground or wa-
ter.

Screw cap2 back on the filler neck.
Transmission fluid level
The transmission fluid level does not need
to be checked. The transmission has a per-
manent supply of automatic transmission
fluid.
If you notice transmission fluid loss or gear
shifting malfunctions, have an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center check
the automatic transmission.Coolant level
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze.
When checking the coolant level

the vehicle must be parked on level
ground


the engine must be cool. The coolant
level should reach the COLD LEVEL
mark in the reservoir.
!Excessive oil must be siphoned or
drained off. It could cause damage to
the engine and catalytic converter not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
The oil dipstick1 tube allows for drain-
ing of oil by using a suction device.
Warning!
G
In order to avoid any possibly serious burns:

Use extreme caution when opening the
hood if there are any signs of steam or
coolant leaking from the cooling system,
or if the coolant temperature display in-
dicates that the coolant is overheated.


Do not remove pressure cap on coolant
reservoir if engine temperature is above
194°F (90°C). Allow engine to cool
down before removing cap. The coolant
reservoir contains hot fluid and is under
pressure.


Using a rag, slowly open the cap approx-
imately
1⁄2turn to relieve excess pres-
sure. If opened immediately, scalding
hot fluid and steam will be blown out un-
der pressure.


Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine
parts. Antifreeze contains ethylene gly-
col which may burn if it comes into con-
tact with hot engine parts.

231 Operation
Maintenance
Calling up the service indicator
Switch ignition on.
The standard display of the control sys-
tem appears (
page 111).

Press button
k
or
j
on the mul-
tifunction steering wheel until the FSS
indicator appears in the multifunction
display.
Resetting the service indicator
In the event that the service on your vehi-
cle is not carried out by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center, you
can reset the service indicator yourself.
Switch ignition on.
The standard display of the control sys-
tem appears (
page 111).

Press button
k
or
j
on the mul-
tifunction steering wheel until the FSS
indicator appears in the multifunction
display.

Press the reset knob (
page 230) for
about four seconds.
This message appears in the tachome-
ter:
DO YOU WANT TO RESET SERVICE INTER-
VAL? CONFIRM BY PRESSING R

To confirm, hold down the reset knob
(page 230) until you hear a signal.
The service indicator now displays the
reset interval.
iIf the vehicle battery is disconnected,
the days of disconnection will not be in-
cluded in the count shown by the ser-
vice indicator. To arrive at the true
service deadline, you will need to sub-
tract these days from the days shown
in the service indicator.
Do not confuse the service indicator
with the engine oil level indicator
:
.
iIf the service indicator was inadvertent-
ly reset, have a Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center correct it.
Only reset if the proper service has
been performed. Resetting the system
without performing proper service as
called for by the FSS will cause the FSS
to incorrectly determine the next ser-
vice interval which will result in engine
damage not covered by the Mer-
cedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

254 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display
Possible cause
Suggested solution
Category
Ñ
CRUISE CONTROL
VISIT WORKSHOP!
Cruise control is malfunctioning.

Visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
2
J
DOOR OPEN!
You are attempting to drive with one
or more doors open.

Close the doors.
1
e
ENGINE AIR FILTER
VISIT WORKSHOP!
The engine filter is clogged and must
be replaced.

Visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center as soon as possible.
2
:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
STOP, ENGINE OFF!
There is no oil in the engine. There is
a danger of engine damage.
See also comments on the following
page.

Carefully bring the vehicle to a
halt as soon as possible.

Turn off the engine.

Add engine oil and check the
engine oil level (
page 218).
1
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
CHECK LEVEL!
The engine oil level is too low.
See also comments on the following
page.

Check the engine oil level
(page 218) and add oil as re-
quired.
2
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
REDUCE OIL LEVEL!
You have added too much engine oil.
There is a risk of damaging the en-
gine or the catalytic converter.
See also comments on the following
page.

Have oil siphoned. Observe all
legal requirements with re-
spect to its disposal.
2

255 Practical hints
What to do if …
When the ENGINE OIL LEVEL – CHECK
LEVEL! message appears while the engine
is running and at operating temperature,
the engine oil level has dropped to approx-
imately the minimum mark on the dipstick.
When this occurs, the warning will first
come on intermittently and then stay on if
the oil level drops further.If no oil leaks are noted, continue to drive
to the nearest service station where the
engine oil should be topped to the “full”
mark on the dipstick with an approved oil.:
ENGINE OIL
VISIT WORKSHOP!
The engine oil has dropped to a crit-
ical level.

Check the engine oil level
(page 218) and add oil as re-
quired.

If you must add engine oil fre-
quently, have the engine
checked for possible leaks.
2
There is water in the oil.

Have the oil checked.
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
VISIT WORKSHOP!
The measuring system is malfunc-
tioning.

Have the measuring system
checked by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
2
Display
Possible cause
Suggested solution
Category
!The engine oil level warnings should
not be ignored. Extended driving with
the symbol displayed could result in se-
rious engine damage that is not cov-
ered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

316 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.Capacities
Vehicle components and their respective
lubricants must match.Therefore use only brands tested and rec-
ommended by Mercedes-Benz.Please refer to the Factory Approved Ser-
vice Products pamphlet, or inquire at your
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Engine with oil filter
G500
G55AMG
8.5 US qt (8.0 l)
8.0 US qt (7.5 l)
Recommended engine oils
Automatic transmission
9.0 US qt (8.5 l)
MB Automatic Transmission Fluid
1
1MB part no. 001 989 21 03 10Transfer case
2.96 US qt (2.8 l)
MB part no. A 001 989 28 03 10
Differential lock mechanism
0.47 - 0.63 US qt
(0.45 - 0.6 l)
Brake fluid DOT 3+4, SAE J1703
Front axle
1.5 US qt (1.4 l)
Hypoid gear oil SAE 90, 85 W 90
Rear axle
1.9 US qt (1.8 l)
Hypoid gear oil SAE 90, 85 W 90
Power steering
approx. 1.06 US qt (1.0 l)
MB Power Steering Fluid, or
approved Dextron III ATF
Front wheel hubs
approx. 1.5 oz (43 g) each
High temperature roller bearing grease
Brake system
approx. 0.53 US qt (0.5 l)
MB Brake Fluid (DOT 4+)
Fuel tank
including a reserve of
25.4 US gal (96.0 l)
5.3 US gal (20.0 l)
Premium unleaded gasoline:
Posted Octane 91
(average of 96 RON / 86 MON)

317 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines. Therefore, use
only engine oils recommended by
Mercedes-Benz. Information on recom-
mended brands is available in the Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet, or at
your authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
Please follow FSS and Service Booklet rec-
ommendations for scheduled oil changes.
F ai lu re to d o s o could res ul t in engi ne da m -
age not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Engine oil additives
Do not blend oil additives with engine oil.
They may be harmful to the engine opera-
tion.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from
blending oil additives are not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Air conditioning refrigerant
R-134a (HFC) refrigerant and special PAG
lubricating oil is used in the air condition-
ing system.
Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral-based lu-
bricating oil, otherwise damage to the
system will occur.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Cooling system
approx. 12.7 US qt (12.0 l)
MB Anticorrosion/Antifreeze
Air conditioning system
R-134a refrigerant and
special PAG lubricant oil (never R-12)
Windshield/rear window washer system
and headlamp cleaning system
approx. 7.9 US qt (7.5 l)
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate
and water
1
1Use MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and water for temperatures above freezing or MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and commercially available pre-
mixed windshield washer solvent / antifreeze for temperatures below freezing. Follow suggested mixing ratios (
page 321).