2003 MERCEDES-BENZ G55AMG brake

164 Controls in detailDriving systemsSetting stored speed
(“Resume” function)
Briefly push the cruise control lever to
position4.
Cruise control will resume the last pre-
viously set speed.

Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.Setting a higher speed

Lift the cruise control lever to
position1 and hold it up until the de-
sired speed is reached.

Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is set.
Setting a lower speed

Depress the cruise control lever to
position2 and hold it down until the
desired speed is reached.

Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is set.Fine adjustment in 1 mph (1 km/h) in-
crements
Faster

Briefly tip the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow1.
Slower

Briefly tip the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow2.
Warning!
G
The speed stored in memory should only be
set again if prevailing road conditions per-
mit. Possible acceleration or deceleration
differences arising from returning to preset
speed could endanger yourself and others.
iDepressing the accelerator pedal does
not deactivate the cruise control. After
brief acceleration (e.g. for passing), the
cruise control will resume the last
speed set.
iWhen you use the cruise control lever
to decelerate, the transmission will au-
tomatically downshift if the engine’s
braking power does not brake the vehi-
cle sufficiently.

165 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Rear Park Assist*
The Rear Park Assist system is an electron-
ic aid designed to assist the driver during
parking maneuvers. It visually and audibly
indicates the relative distance between the
rear of the vehicle and an obstacle.
The Rear Park Assist system is automati-
cally activated when you switch on the ig-
nition and shift the gear selector lever to
positionR.The Rear Park Assist system monitors the
rear area of your vehicle by means of four
sensors in the rear bumper.
1SensorsWarning!
G
Rear Park Assist (rear Parktronic) is a sup-
plemental system. It is not intended to, nor
does it replace, the need for extreme care.
The responsibility during parking and other
critical maneuvers always rests with the
driver.
Special attention must be paid to objects
with smooth surfaces or low silhouettes
(e.g. trailer couplings, painted posts, or
street curbs). Such objects may not be de-
tected by the system and can damage the
vehicle.
The operational function of the Rear Park
Assist can be affected by dirty sensors, es-
pecially at times of snow and ice. See
“Cleaning the Rear Park Assist sensors”
(page 234).
Interference caused by other ultrasonic sig-
nals (e.g. working jackhammers or the air
brakes of trucks) can cause the system to
send erratic indications, and should be tak-
en into consideration.Warning!
G
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
the area in which you are maneuvering. You
could otherwise injure them.

166 Controls in detailDriving systemsRange of the sensors
To function properly, the sensors must be
free of dirt, ice, snow and slush. Clean the
sensors regularly, being careful not to
scratch or damage them.Minimum distance
The minimum distance between the sen-
sors and an obstacle is approximately
20 in (50 cm). If you encounter an obstacle
in this range, all the warning lamps light up
and you hear a warning signal. If the obsta-
cle is closer than the minimum distance,
the actual distance may no longer be indi-
cated by the system.
Center
approx. 59.1 in (150 cm)
Corners
approx. 40 in (100 cm)
!During parking maneuvers, pay special
attention to objects located above or
below the height of the sensors (e.g.
planters or trailer hitches). The Rear
Park Assist system will not detect such
objects at close range and damage to
your vehicle or the object may result.
Ultrasonic signals from outside sourc-
es (e.g. truck air brakes or jackham-
mers) may impair the operation of the
Rear Park Assist system.

180 Controls in detailUseful featuresRemoving the ashtray insert
4Sliding knob
5Astray insert

Press sliding knob4 to the right.
The insert will protrude a short dis-
tance.

Remove insert5 in direction of arrow.
Reinstalling the ashtray insert

Press the insert into the frame until it
snaps into place.
Rear passenger compartment
1Cover
2Catch
3Ashtray insertOpening ashtray

Pull at top of cover 1.
Removing the ashtray insert

Push down on catch2.

Pull out the ashtray insert 3.
Reinstalling the ashtray insert

Position the insert and close the cover.
Warning!
G
Remove ashtray only with vehicle standing
still. Turn off the engine and set the parking
brake. Otherwise the vehicle might move as
a result of unintended contact with the gear
selector lever.

198 OperationDriving instructionsPower assistanceBrakesTo help prevent brake disk corrosion after
driving on wet road surfaces (particularly
salted roads), it is advisable to brake the
vehicle with considerable force prior to
parking. The heat generated serves to dry
the brakes.
If your brake system is normally only sub-
jected to moderate loads, you should occa-
sionally test the effectiveness of the
brakes by applying above-normal braking
pressure at higher speeds. This will also
enhance the grip of the brake pads.If the parking brake is released and the
brake warning lamp in the instrument clus-
ter stays on and there is no audible warn-
ing (EBB), the brake fluid level in the
reservoir is too low.
Brake pad wear or a leak in the system may
be the reason for low brake fluid in the res-
ervoir.
Have the brake system inspected at an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Cen-
ter immediately.
All checks and service work on the brake
system should be carried out by an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Install only brake pads and brake fluid
recommended by Mercedes-Benz.Warning!
G
When the engine is not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to stop or steer the vehi-
cle.Warning!
G
After driving in heavy rain for some time
without applying the brakes or through wa-
ter deep enough to wet brake components
or salty road conditions, the first braking ac-
tion may be somewhat reduced and in-
creased pedal pressure may be necessary to
obtain expected braking effect. Maintain a
safe distance from vehicles in front.
Resting your foot on the brake pedal will
cause excessive and premature wear of the
brake pads.
It can also result in the brakes overheating,
thereby significantly reducing their effec-
tiveness. It may not be possible to stop the
vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an acci-
dent.
!Be very careful not to endanger other
road users when you apply the brakes.
Refer to the description of the Brake
Assist System (BAS) (
page 73).

199 Operation
Driving instructions
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive
on for some time, rather than immediately
parking, so the air stream will cool down
the brakes faster.Driving off
Apply the brakes to test them briefly after
driving off. Perform this procedure only
when the road is clear of other traffic.
Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not
place full load on the engine until the oper-
ating temperature has been reached.
When starting off on a slippery surface, do
not allow one drive wheel to spin for an ex-
tended period with the ESP switched off.
Doing so may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
To ensure sufficient traction during
off-road driving, activate differential locks
as needed (
page 145).
Parking
Warning!
G
If other than recommended brake pads are
installed, or other than recommended brake
fluid is used, the braking properties of the
vehicle can be degraded to an extent that
safe braking is substantially impaired. This
could result in an accident.!When driving down long and steep
grades, relieve the load on the brakes
by selecting gear range3,2 or1 on the
automatic transmission to use the en-
gine’s braking power (
page 137).
This helps prevent overheating of the
brakes and reduces brake pad wear.
Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before
turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:


Keep right foot on brake pedal.


Pull the parking brake lever up as many
notches as possible.


Move the selector lever to positionP.


Slowly release brake pedal.


When parked on an incline, turn front
wheel towards the road curb.


Turn the key to starter switch position0
and remove.


Take the key and lock vehicle when leav-
ing.

200 OperationDriving instructionsTiresTread wear indicators (TWI) are required by
law. These indicators are located in six
places on the tread circumference and be-
come visible at a tread depth of approxi-
mately
1⁄16
in (1.5 mm), at which point the
tire is considered worn and should be re-
placed.
The tread wear indicator appears as a solid
band across the tread.
Specified tire pressures must be main-
tained. This applies particularly if the tires
are subject to high loads (e.g. high speeds,
heavy loads, high ambient temperatures).
Hydroplaning
Depending on the depth of the water layer
on the road, hydroplaning may occur even
at low speeds and with new tires. Reduce
vehicle speed, avoid track grooves in the
road and apply brakes cautiously in the
rain.
!Set the parking brake whenever park-
ing or leaving the vehicle. In addition,
move selector lever to positionP. In ad-
dition, when parking on hills, always set
the parking brake and turn front wheel
towards the curb.Warning!
G
If you feel a sudden significant vibration or
ride disturbance, or you suspect that possi-
ble damage to your vehicle has occurred,
you should turn on the hazard warning flash-
ers, carefully slow down, and drive with cau-
ti o n to a n a r ea wh ic h i s a s a fe dis t an c e f ro m
the road.
Inspect the tires and the vehicle underbody
for possible damage. If the vehicle or tires
appear unsafe, have it towed to the nearest
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center or tire
dealer for repairs.
Warning!
G
Do not allow your tires to wear down too far.
As tread depth approaches
1⁄16in (1.5 mm),
the adhesion properties on a wet road are
sharply reduced.
Depending upon the weather and/or road
surface (conditions), the tire traction varies
widely.
Warning!
G
Do not drive with a flat tire. A flat tire affects
the ability to steer or brake the vehicle. You
may lose control of the vehicle. Continued
driving with a flat tire or driving at high
speed with a flat tire will cause excessive
heat build-up and possibly a fire.

201 Operation
Driving instructions
Tire traction
The safe speed on a wet, snow covered or
icy road is always lower than on a dry road.
You should pay particular attention to the
condition of the road whenever the outside
temperatures are close to the freezing
point.
Mercedes-Benz recommends M+S rated
radial-ply tires with a minimum tread depth
of approximately
1⁄8in (4 mm) for the win-
ter season for all four wheels to insure nor-
mal balanced handling characteristics. On
packed snow, they can reduce your stop-
ping distance as compared with summer
tires.Stopping distance, however, is still consid-
erably greater than when the road is not
covered with snow or ice. Exercise appro-
priate caution.
Tire speed rating
G500, G55AMG
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“V”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of 150 mph (240 km/h).An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding the speed rating.
Despite of the tire speed rating, local
speed limits should be obeyed. Use pru-
dent driving speeds appropriate to prevail-
ing conditions.
Warning!
G
If ice has formed on the road, tire traction
will be substantially reduced. Under such
weather conditions, drive, steer and brake
with extreme caution.
!Avoid spinning of one drive wheel. This
may cause serious damage to the drive
train which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.iAdditional information on winter tires
can be found under “Winter tires”
(page 228).
Warning!
G
Even when permitted by law, never operate
a vehicle at speeds greater than the maxi-
mum speed rating of the tires.
Exceeding the maximum speed for which
tires are rated can lead to sudden tire fail-
ure, causing loss of vehicle control and pos-
sibly resulting in an accident and/or serious
injury and possible death, for you and for
others.