2003 MERCEDES-BENZ G55AMG Owner's Manual

65 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
BabySmart
TM
airbag deactivation
system
Special BabySmart
TM1
compatible child
seats, designed for use with the Mer-
cedes-Benz system and available at any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center are required for use with the
BabySmart
TM airbag deactivation system.
With the special child seat properly in-
stalled, the passenger front airbag will not
deploy.
The
7
indicator lamp located in the
center console will be illuminated, except
with the key removed or in the starter
switch position0.
Infants and small children should never
share a seat belt with another occupant.
During an accident, they could be crushed
between the occupant and seat belt.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
Warning!
G
Children too big for child restraint systems
must ride in back seats using regular seat
belts. Position shoulder belt across chest
and shoulder, not face or neck. A booster
seat may be necessary to achieve proper
belt positioning for children from 41 lbs. un-
til they reach a height where a lap / shoulder
belt fits properly without a booster.
When the child restraint is not in use, re-
m o v e i t f r o m t h e v e h i c l e o r s e c u r e i t w i t h t h e
seat belt to prevent the child restraint from
becoming a projectile in the event of an ac-
cident.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system. Unsupervised chil-
dren in a child restraint system may use ve-
hicle equipment and may cause serious
personal injury.
1BabySmartTM
is a trademark of Siemens Automo-
tive Corp.

66 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetySelf-test BabySmart
TM
without special
child seat installed
After turning key in starter switch to
position1 or2, the
7
indicator lamp
located in the center console lights up for
approximately 6 seconds and then goes
out.
If the indicator lamp should not come on or
is continuously lit, the system is not func-
tioning. You must see an authorized Mer-
cedes-Benz Light Truck Center before
seating any child on the front passenger
seat.
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (page 244).
Warning!
G
The BabySmart
TM airbag deactivation sys-
tem will ONLY work with a special child seat
designed to operate with it. It will not work
with child seats which are not BabySmart
TM
compatible.
Never place anything between seat cushion
and child seat (e.g. pillow), since it reduces
the effectiveness of the deactivation sys-
tem. The bottom of the child seat must
make full contact with the passenger seat
cushion. An incorrectly mounted child seat
could cause injuries to the child in case of an
accident, instead of protecting the child.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
installation of special child seats.
When using a BabySmart
TM compatible
child seat on the front passenger side seat,
the front passenger airbag will not deploy
only if the
7
indicator lamp remains il-
luminated.
Warning!
G
Please be sure to check the indicator every
time you use the special system child seat.
Should the light go out while the restraint is
installed, please check installation. If the
light remains out, do not use the
BabySmart
TM restraint to transport children
on the passenger seat until the system has
been repaired.
Warning!
G
Do not place powered-on laptops, cell
phones and like electronic devices on the
front passenger seat. Signals from such de-
vices may interfere with the BabySmart
TM
system. Such signal interference may cause
the
7
indicator lamp not to come on
during self-test or be continuously lit, indi-
cating that the system is not functioning.

67 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Installation of infant and child restraint
system
1Anchorage ring for rear left side seat
2Anchorage ring for rear right side seat
3Anchorage ring for rear center seat
Guide top tether strap between head
restraint and top of seat back. Head
restraint must be installed and posi-
tioned such that the top tether strap
can pass freely between the head re-
straint and top of seat back.
When mounting a tether strap on the
rear outer seats, reinstall the cargo
area cover blind (
page 169) and op-
tional partition net (page 171).4Hook

Securely fasten hook4 to anchorage
ring.iFor safety, make sure that the hook is
attached to the ring beyond the safety
catch, as illustrated.
Warning!
G
Use only the described anchorage rings for
the respective child seat. Other lashing eye-
lets could tear in the case of an accident.
Make sure that:

the fastening straps are not crossed or
twisted.


the hook is properly attached and is
closed.

68 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyChild seat anchors – “LATCH” type
This vehicle is provided with two “LATCH”
(LOWER Anchors and Tethers for CHil-
dren) type anchors (at each of the outer
rear seats) for installation of a “LATCH”
child seat with matching mounting fittings.AnchorsInstall a “LATCH” type child seat according
to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Install child seat according to manufac-
turer’s instructions.
iWith a child seat installed in the left
rear seat, the seat belt for the center
seat occupied by a passenger must op-
erate freely.
Non-“LATCH” type child seats may also
be used and can be installed using the
vehicle’s seat belt system. Install child
seat according to the manufacturer’s
instructions.Warning!
G
Install child seat according to manufactur-
er’s instructions.
T h e c h i l d s e a t m u s t b e f i r m l y a t t a c h e d i n t h e
right and left side anchors.
Warning!
G
An incorrectly mounted child seat may come
loose during an accident.
Damaged or impact-damaged child seats or
child seat mounting fittings must be re-
placed.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system.
Children too big for child restraint systems
must ride in back seats using regular seat
belts. Position shoulder belt across chest
and shoulder, not face or neck. A booster
seat may be necessary to achieve proper
belt positioning for children from 41 lbs. un-
til they reach a height where a lap / shoulder
belt fits properly without a booster.

69 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Blocking rear door window operation
1Switch for rear door window override
Slide the switch to the right.
The
N
symbol becomes visible. The
rear windows can no longer be operat-
ed using the switch in the rear doors.For more information on power windows,
see the “Controls in detail” section
(
page 158).Warning!
G
Activate the override switch in the rear when
children are riding in the car. The children
could otherwise injure themselves, e.g. by
becoming trapped in the window opening.
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. Unsupervised use of vehicle equip-
ment can cause an accident and/or serious
personal injury.

70 Safety and SecurityPanic alarm
Panic alarm1Â
buttonAn audible alarm and blinking turn signal
lamps will operate for approximately
2½ minutes.

To activate: Press and hold button1 for
at least one second.

To deactivate: Press button1 again or
insert key in starter switch.
iFor operation in the USA only: This de-
vice complies with Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:

This device may not cause harmful
interference, and


this device must accept any inter-
ference received, including interfer-
ence that may cause undesired
operation.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority
to operate the equipment.

71 Safety and Security
Driving and safety systems
Driving and safety systems
In this section you will find information on
the following driving safety systems:

ABS (Antilock Brake System)


BAS (Brake Assist System)


4-ETS (Electronic Traction System)


EBB (Electronic Brake Booster)


ESP (Electronic Stability Program)
ABS
The ABS regulates the brake pressure so
that the wheels do not lock during braking.
This allows you to maintain the ability to
steer your vehicle.
The ABS is functional above a speed of ap-
proximately 5 mph (8 km/h) independent
of road surface conditions (as long as the
differential locks are not engaged).
At the instant one of the wheels is about to
lock up, a slight pulsation can be felt in the
brake pedal, indicating that the ABS is in
the regulating mode. Keep firm and steady
pressure on the brake pedal while experi-
encing the pulsation.
iIn winter operation, the maximum ef-
fectiveness of the ABS, ESP, EBB and
4-ETS is only achieved with winter tires
(M + S tires), or snow chains as re-
quired.
Warning!
G
The following factors increase the risk of ac-
cidents:

Excessive speed, especially in turns


Wet and slippery road surfaces


Following another vehicle too closely
The ABS, BAS, ESP and 4-ETS cannot reduce
this risk.
Always adjust your driving style to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.
Warning!
G
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure instead. Pump-
ing the brake pedal defeats the purpose of
ABS and significantly reduces braking effec-
tiveness.

72 Safety and SecurityDriving and safety systemsContinuous steady brake pedal pressure
yields the advantages provided by the ABS,
namely braking power and the ability to
steer the vehicle.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will re-
spond even with light brake pressure. The
pulsating brake pedal can be an indication
of hazardous road conditions and func-
tions as a reminder to take extra care while
driving.
The
-
warning lamp in the instrument
cluster (page 24) lights up when you
turn the key to position 2. It goes out when
the engine is running.Braking
At the instant one of the wheels is about to
lock up, a slight pulsation can be felt in the
brake pedal, indicating that the ABS is in
the regulating mode.

Keep firm and steady pressure on the
brake pedal while experiencing the pul-
sation.
Emergency brake maneuver

Keep continuous full pressure on the
brake pedal.LOW RANGE– ABS
During off-road driving a special low range
system for the antilock brake system (ABS)
is operational with transfer case in position
LOW (
page 141).
An improved braking action (dig-in effect)
is obtained for vehicle speeds up to
37 mph (60 km/h) through a change in the
ABS control function.
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 240).
iTo alert following vehicles to slippery
road conditions you discover, operate
your hazard warning flashers as appro-
priate.
iIf the ABS is malfunctioning, the BAS,
EBB, ESP and 4-ETS are also switched
off.
Normal driving and braking functions
are still available.