2003 MERCEDES-BENZ G55AMG brake

76 Safety and SecurityDriving and safety systems
Switching off the ESP
To improve the vehicle's traction, turn off
the ESP in driving situations where it would
be advantageous to have the drive wheels
spin and thus cut into surfaces for better
grip such as:

starting out on slippery surfaces and in
deep snow in conjunction with snow
chains.


sand or gravel.


when driving off-road.
When the ESP is turned off


engine torque is not limited.


the drive wheels can spin.
Warning!
G
The ESP cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase the traction afforded. The ESP
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, fol-
lowing another vehicle too closely, or aqua-
planing. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful
driver can prevent accidents. The capabili-
ties of a ESP equipped vehicle must never be
exploited in a reckless or dangerous manner
which could jeopardize the user’s safety or
the safety of others.!Driving the vehicle with varied size tires
will cause the wheels to rotate at differ-
ent speeds, possibly causing the ESP to
activate. For this reason, all wheels, in-
cluding the spare wheel, must have the
same tire outside diameter.
!The engine must be shut off when

the parking brake is being tested on
a brake test dynamometer.


the vehicle is being towed with one
axle raised.
Otherwise, the ESP will engage the
brakes and seriously damage the brake
system.
iThe ABS, BAS and ESP are automatical-
ly switched off when the differential
locks are switched on (
page 145).
Warning!
G
The ESP should not be switched off during
normal driving other than in the circum-
stances described below. Disabling of the
system will reduce vehicle stability in stan-
dard driving maneuvers.

77 Safety and Security
Driving and safety systems
The ESP control switch is located in the up-
per center console.ESP on/off switch
Press upper half of switch.
ESP is deactivated and the ESP warning
lamp
v
in the speedometer dial
comes on.Even if the ESP has been turned off, it is
still active in the following situations:


when braking


at vehicle speeds up to approximately
37 mph (60 km / h), if one wheel reach-
es the grip limit, e.g. when the street is
icy on one side
The brake is applied until the wheel re-
gains sufficient traction.
If one or more drive wheels are spinning,
the ESP warning lamp
v
in the instru-
ment cluster flashes, regardless of the
speed.
!Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period of time with the ESP
switched off. This may cause serious
damage to the drivetrain which is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.iTurn ESP on immediately if the afore-
mentioned circumstances do not apply
anymore.
iIf the ESP is switched off, it will be au-
tomatically activated when exceeding a
vehicle speed of 37 mph (60 km / h) or
exceeding a severity threshold of side
acceleration.

136 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionThe current selector lever position and the
transfer case position (HIGH or LOW) ap-
pear in the tachometer display.
1Transfer case display
2Selector lever position/gear range When the selector lever is in positionD,
you can influence transmission shifting by


limiting the gear range


changing gears yourself
One-touch gearshifting
Even with an automatic transmission, you
can change the gears yourself when the
selector lever is in positionD.
Downshifting
Briefly press the selector lever to the
left in the D–direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next lower gear. This action si-
multaneously limits the gear range of the
transmission (
page 137).Upshifting

Briefly press the selector lever to the
right in the D+direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next higher gear as permitted
by the shift program. This action simulta-
neously extends the gear range of the
transmission.
Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the selector lever out
ofP orN 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 reverse. You could lose
control of the vehicle and hit someone or
something. Only shift into gear when the en-
gine is idling normally and when your right
foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
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 loss of control.iTo avoid overrevving the engine when
the selector lever is moved to the
D–direction, the transmission will not
shift to a lower gear if the engine's
max. speed would be exceeded.

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.

139 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Accelerator position
Your driving style influences the transmis-
sion’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle Earlier upshifting
More throttle Later upshifting
Kickdown
Use kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
Press the accelerator past the point of
resistance.
The transmission shifts into a lower
gear.

Ease on the accelerator when you have
reached the desired speed.
The transmission shifts up again.
!Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any
other reason with selector lever inN
can result in transmission damage that
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the selector
lever not fully engaged in positionP is dan-
gerous. Also, positionP alone is not intend-
ed to or capable of preventing your vehicle
from moving, possibly hitting people or ob-
jects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 50).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the starter switch, and lock the ve-
hicle. Do not leave children unattended in
the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Children could move the selector le-
ver from positionP, which could result in an
accident and/or serious personal injury.

142 Controls in detailTransfer case
Press upper half1 (“LOW”) of the
transfer case switch.
Once the shift is complete, gear
positionL is displayed in the transfer
case indicator.

Put gear selector in D.
Switching from LOW to HIGH

Press lower half2 (“HIGH”) of the
transfer case switch.
Once the shift is complete, gear
positionH is displayed in the transfer
case indicator.

Put gear selector in D.
Messages in the multifunction display
If a shift was not completed and the multi-
function display shows one of the following
messages:


TC SHIFT CONDITIONS NOT FULFILLEDThe shift does not occur. At least one
shift condition was not met.

Repeat the shift procedure.


TC IN NEUTRAL The shift does not occur. The transfer
case is in neutral. The gear positionN
is displayed in the transfer case
indicator1.

Repeat the shift procedure.


TC SHIFT – CANCELLEDThe shift did not take place.

Repeat the shift procedure.


TRANSFER CASE – VISIT WORKSHOP!There is a malfunction in the system.

Have the vehicle checked at your au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center as soon as possible.
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 266).
!The shift procedure can only be per-
formed when:

The engine is running.


The selector lever for the automatic
transmission is in positionN.


The vehicle speed does not exceed
40 mph (70 km/h).
Warning!
G
If TC is in neutral, transmission positionP
will not hold vehicle. The parking brake must
be applied to hold vehicle in place.
iIf the SmartKey is in starter switch
position0 or1, an alarm will sound if
the transfer case is in positionN and
the driver’s door is opened.
Engage transfer case to gear position
HIGH or LOW.

162 Controls in detailDriving systems
Driving systemsThe driving systems of your vehicle are de-
scribed on the following pages:

Cruise control, with which the vehicle
can maintain a preset speed.


Rear Park Assist*, with which you can
assist your parking maneuvers.
The BAS, ABS, ESP, 4-ETS and EBB driving
systems are described in the “Safety and
Security” section (
page 71).
Cruise control
Cruise control automatically maintains the
speed you set for your vehicle.
Use of cruise control is recommended for
driving at a constant speed for extended
periods of time. You can set any speed
over 20 mph (30 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
The cruise control lever is the uppermost
lever found on the left-hand side of the
steering column (
page 22).
iThe cruise control should not be acti-
vated during-off road driving.
Warning!
G
Cruise control is a convenience system de-
signed to assist the driver during vehicle op-
eration. The driver is and must always
remain responsible for the vehicle speed
and for safe brake operation.
Only use cruise control if the road, traffic
and weather conditions make it advisable to
travel at a steady speed.

The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.


The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on slippery roads. Rapid changes in
tire traction can result in wheel spin and
loss of control.


Deactivate cruise control when driving
in fog.
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.

163 Controls in detail
Driving systems
1Set current or higher speed
2Set current or lower speed
3Cancel cruise control
4Resume at previously set speed
Saving current speed
Accelerate or decelerate to the desired
speed.

Briefly lift1 or depress2 the cruise
control lever.
The current speed is set.

Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated.Canceling cruise control
There are several ways to cancel cruise
control:

Step on the brake pedal.
or

Briefly push the cruise control lever to
position3.
Cruise control will be canceled. The
last speed set will be stored for later
use.iOn uphill or downhill grades, cruise
control may not be able to maintain the
set speed. Once the grade eases, the
set speed will be resumed.
!Moving gear selector lever to
positionN while driving also cancels
cruise control. However, the gear se-
lector lever should not be moved to
positionN while driving except to coast
when the vehicle is in danger of skid-
ding (e.g. on icy roads).iThe last stored speed is canceled when
you turn off the engine.