2003 MERCEDES-BENZ G55AMG differential

ContentsDriving and safety systems .................. 71
ABS ................................................ 71
BAS ................................................ 73
4-ETS .............................................. 74
EBB................................................. 75
ESP ................................................. 75
Anti-theft systems................................ 79
Immobilizer..................................... 79
Anti-theft alarm .............................. 79
Tow-away alarm ............................. 80Controls in detail............................... 83
Locking and unlocking ......................... 84
Keys ............................................... 84
Opening the doors from the inside . 87
Tailgate........................................... 87
Automatic central locking .............. 89
Locking and unlocking
from the inside ............................... 89
Seats.................................................... 91
Easy-entry/exit feature .................. 91
Removing and installing head
restraints ........................................ 92
Synchronizing head restraints and
the seat adjustment fore and aft .... 93Multicontour seat* ......................... 94
Heated seats .................................. 95
Memory function ................................. 97
Storing positions into memory ....... 98
Recalling positions from memory ... 98
Storing exterior rear view mirror
parking position ............................. 99
Lighting.............................................. 100
Exterior lamp switch..................... 100
Combination switch ..................... 103
Hazard warning flasher ................ 103
Interior lighting............................. 104
Rear interior lamps....................... 105
Cargo compartment lamps........... 106
Instrument cluster ............................. 108
Instrument cluster illumination .... 108
Coolant temperature display ........ 108
Trip odometer .............................. 109
Tachometer .................................. 109
Outside temperature indicator ..... 110
Control system .................................. 111
Multifunction display .................... 111
Multifunction steering wheel ........ 112
Menus .......................................... 114
Standard display menu ................ 116
AUDIO menu ................................ 116NAVI menu ................................... 118
Malfunction memory menu .......... 118
Settings menu .............................. 119
Trip computer menu..................... 130
TEL menu ..................................... 132
Automatic transmission ..................... 135
One-touch gearshifting ................ 136
Gear ranges ................................. 137
Gear selector lever position ......... 138
Accelerator position ..................... 139
Emergency operation
(Limp Home Mode) ...................... 140
Transfer case ..................................... 141
Gear range ................................... 141
Switching transfer case ............... 141
Differential locks ............................... 143
A few words about differentials
and differential locks ................... 144
Switching differential locks on
and off ......................................... 145
Good visibility .................................... 147
Rear view mirror .......................... 147
Headlamp cleaning system .......... 148
Sun visors .................................... 149

27 At a glance
Center console
Center console
Upper part
Item
Page
1
Left front seat heater
switch
95
2
Switch for rear window
wiper/washer
48
3
ESP control switch
76
4
Differential lock switches
145
5
Central locking switch
89
6
Anti-theft alarm system in-
dicator lamp
79
Tow-away alarm switch
80
7
Right front seat heater
switch
95
Item
Page
8
Hazard warning flasher
switch
103
9
COMAND system, see sep-
arate operating instructions
10
Ashtray with lighter
179,
181
11
Climate control
150
12
7
indicator lamp
65,
244

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.

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.

83 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Seats
Memory function
Lighting
Instrument cluster
Control system
Automatic transmission
Transfer case
Differential locks
Good visibility
Climate control
Power windows
Sliding/pop-up roof
Driving systems
Loading
Useful features

143 Controls in detail
Differential locks
Differential locks
Information on off-road driving is found in
the “Operation” section (
page 203).
Differential locks improve the vehicle’s
tractive power off-road. Switch differential
locks on:


for off-road driving


to turn the ABS off during off-road driv-
ing


for driving through water


when driving on deep snow and icy or
fouled surfaces!Do not engage the front axle differen-
tial lock when driving around tight cor-
ners. This restricts steering ability.
!When driving off-road, apply only mod-
erate pressure to the accelerator pedal
if the differential locks are switched on.
When running on a (single-axle) dyna-
mometer – no matter how briefly – you
must:

raise the non-driven axle
or


disconnect its drive shaft
and


engage the transfer differential lock
Otherwise the transfer case can be
damaged, which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
Never drive on pavement with differential
locks engaged.
Steering control will be strongly affected
with the differential locks activated.
The ABS, BAS and ESP are switched off au-
tomatically when the transfer case differen-
tial lock is activated.

144 Controls in detailDifferential locksA few words about differentials and dif-ferential locks
When a vehicle negotiates a turn, wheels
on the outside of the curve must travel far-
ther and rotate faster than the inside
wheels. The differential, the operation of a
set of gears that allows the powered
wheels in a vehicle to turn at different
speeds, make this essential function possi-
ble.
The drawback is that the differential also
sends most of the engine's power to the
wheel with the least load or strain on it. For
example, if one of a vehicle's powered
wheels sits on a patch of snow and spins
because there is no traction, all of the en-
gine's power will go to that wheel because
the power will take the path of least resis-
tance. Meanwhile, the opposite wheel, sit-
ting on dry pavement where it could get
enough grip to start the vehicle moving,
sits idle because it receives no power.The Electronic Traction System (ETS) ad-
dresses this problem and provides for
good control and steering ability by auto-
matically slowing the slipping wheel and
thus increasing the power to the other
non-slipping drive wheels to get the vehicle
moving. The ESP and ETS in this vehicle
feature such intelligent limited-slip differ-
ential technology, ideally suited for
on-road and light off-road driving. Transfer
case position LOW (
page 141) also en-
hances off-road driving capabilities
(
page 203).
More extreme off-road conditions may call
for another solution, engaging a differen-
tial lock or preventing the differential from
operating altogether. As part of its stan-
dard equipment, this vehicle comes with
three differential locks: front, transfer case
(center) and rear. Each can be engaged
simply by pushing dashboard-mounted
buttons in sequential order (center, rear,
front) (
page 145). When the transfer
case (center) differential is locked, half of
the engine's power is automatically distrib-
uted to the front wheels and half to the rear wheels. When the rear differential is
locked, power going to the rear wheels is
equally distributed, so that both rear
wheels turn at the same speed and torque.
When the front differential is locked, all
four wheels now turn with equal power and
torque. Please be aware that engaging the
differential locks will significantly reduce
the steering ability of the vehicle.
For your safety and the safety of others
and to prevent damage to the vehicle, the
differential locks must not be engaged
when driving on paved roads. It is impor-
tant to understand that during
on-road/paved driving, differentials are
absolutely necessary for providing the es-
sential control and steering ability of the
vehicle. The differential locks, therefore,
must not be engaged when driving on
paved roads and should only be used to
the extent necessary to negotiate off-road
conditions which can not be handled by
the systems (automatic 4-ETS, the ESP,
manual switch position “LOW” of transfer
case) this vehicle comes equipped with.

145 Controls in detail
Differential locks
Switching differential locks on and off
The switch is located in the center console.
1Transfer case (center) differential lock
2Rear axle differential lock
3Front differential lock
4Engagement indicator lamps (yellow)
5Function indicator lamps (red)Switching differential locks on
Transfer case differential lock

Press switch1.
The yellow engagement indicator lamp
for the transfer case differential lock
lights up.
The
v
warning lamp lights up.
When the differential lock engagement
operation has been completed, the red
function indicator lamp lights up.The message
ABS NOT AVAILABLE –
DIFFERENTIAL LOCKED
appears in the
multifunction display.
The
v
and
-
warning lamps in
the instrument cluster come on.
Once the transfer case differential lock
is switched on, you can now, if needed,


switch on rear axle differential
lock2
or


switch on rear axle differential lock
and front differential lock 2 and 3.
iThe differential locks can only be
switched on in the sequence 1, 2, 3.
!To avoid damage to the transfer case
and differential locks:

Engage differential locks only at low
speed (walking speed, not more
than 5 mph)


Do not engage differential locks if
the driving wheels are spinning


Do not engage on paved roads.