2003 MERCEDES-BENZ G55AMG warning lights

16 IntroductionSymbols
SymbolsThe following symbols are found in this
Operator’s Manual:
* Optional equipment is identified
with an asterisk. Since standard
equipment varies between models,
the descriptions and illustrations in
this manual may differ slightly from
the actual equipment of your vehi-
cle.

This symbol points to instructions for
you to follow.

A number of these symbols appearing
in succession indicates a multiple-step
procedure.
 Page This symbol tells you where to
look for further information on a
topic.
This continuation symbol marks
an interrupted procedure which
will be continued on the next
page.
-> In the glossary of technical
terms, this symbol is used to
cross-reference term defini-
tions.
Display
Words appearing in the multi-
function display are printed in
the type shown here.
Warning!
G
Warning notices draw your attention to haz-
ards that may endanger your health or life,
or the health or life of others.!Highlights hazards that may result in
damage to your vehicle.iHelpful hints or further information you
may find useful.

54 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Occupant safetyIn this section you will learn the most im-
portant facts about the restraint systems
of the vehicle.
The restraint systems are

Seat belts


Emergency tensioning device


Airbags


Child seats


Child seat recognition


Lower anchors and tethers for children
(LATCH)
As independent systems their protective
effects work in conjunction with each oth-
er.The
1
warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up:


for about 4 seconds when you turn the
key in the starter switch to position1.


for about 4 seconds when you start the
engine by turning the key.
The warning lamp goes out shortly after
you start the engine. This shows that the
restraint systems are operational.A malfunction in the system has been de-
tected, if the
1
warning lamp:


fails to extinguish after approximately
4seconds.


does not come on at all.


comes on after the engine was started
or while driving.
For safety reasons, we strongly recom-
mend that you visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to
have the system checked.
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 242).
iFor information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and re-
straint systems for infants and chil-
dren, see Children in the vehicle
(page 63).
iThe warning lamp remains lit if the key
is turned to position2 and left there.
The warning lamp will go out when you
start the engine.

55 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Airbags
Warning!
G
In the event that the SRS malfunction indica-
tor lamp lights up during driving or does not
come on at all, the SRS may not be opera-
tional. For your safety, we strongly recom-
mend that you visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center immedi-
ately to have the system checked; otherwise
the SRS may not be activated when needed
in an accident, which could result in serious
or fatal injury, or it might deploy unexpect-
edly and unnecessarily which could also re-
sult in injury.
Improper work on the restraint systems can
lead to unintentional deployment or opera-
tional failure.
All work on these systems should therefore
only be carried out by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Warning!
G
Airbags are designed to reduce the potential
of injury in certain frontal (front airbags) im-
pacts, which may cause significant injuries.
However, no system available today can to-
tally eliminate injuries and fatalities.
The activation of the SRS temporarily releas-
es a small amount of dust from the airbags.
This dust, however, is neither injurious to
your health, nor does it indicate a fire in the
vehicle. The dust might cause some tempo-
rary breathing difficulty for people with asth-
ma or other breathing trouble. To avoid this,
you may wish to get out of the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so. If you have any
breathing difficulty but cannot get out of the
vehicle after the airbag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or door.
Warning!
G
The service life of the front passenger airbag
extends to the date indicated on the label lo-
cated on the driver side B pillar. To provide
continued reliability after that date, they
should be inspected by an authorized Mer-
cedes-Benz Light Truck Center at that time
and replaced when necessary.

59 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Front airbags
1Driver airbag
2Passenger airbag
Driver and passenger airbags are de-
ployed:

in the event of a frontal impact


if impact exceeds a preset deployment
thresholdThe airbags will not deploy in impacts
which do not exceed the system’s deploy-
ment thresholds. You will then be protect-
ed by the fastened seat belts.
The passenger airbag will only be deployed
if:


the passenger seat is occupied.


the
7
indicator lamp in the center
console is not lit (
page 65).
Warning!
G
In the event that the SRS malfunction indica-
tor lamp lights up while driving, the SRS may
not be operational. For your safety, we
strongly recommend that you visit an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center im-
mediately to have the system checked;
otherwise the SRS may not be activated
when needed in an accident, which could re-
sult in serious or fatal injury, or it might de-
ploy unexpectedly and unnecessarily which
could also result in injury.
!Do not place objects heavier than
20 lbs (9 kg) on the front passenger
seat. This could cause the front airbag
on the front passenger side to deploy in
a crash which exceeds the system's de-
ployment threshold.

60 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetySeat belts
The seat belt nonusage warning lamp
<

in the instrument cluster lights up and a
warning sounds for a short time when you
turn the key in the starter switch to
position2 and the driver’s seat belt is not
fastened.
After starting the engine, the seat belt non-
usage warning lamp blinks for a brief peri-
od to remind the driver and passengers to
fasten their seat belts.
The use of seat belts and infant and child
restraint systems is required by law in all
50 states, the District of Columbia and all
Canadian provinces. Even where this is not
the case, all vehicle occupants should have
their seat belts fastened whenever the ve-
hicle is in motion.
Information on fastening seat belts is
found in the “Getting started” section
(
page 40).
iFor information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and re-
straint systems for infants and chil-
dren, see “Children in the vehicle”
(page 63)
Warning!
G
Always fasten your seat belt before driving
off. Always make sure your passengers are
properly restrained, even those sitting in the
rear and pregnant women.
Failure to wear and properly fasten and po-
sition your seat belt greatly increases your
risk of injuries and their likely severity in an
accident. You and your passengers should
always wear seat belts.
If you are ever in an accident, your injuries
can be considerably more severe without
your seat belt properly buckled. Without
your seat belt buckled, you are much more
likely to hit the interior of the vehicle or be
ejected from it. You can be seriously injured
or killed.
In the same crash, the possibility of injury or
death is lessened if you are properly wearing
your seat belt. Airbags can only protect as
they are designed if the occupants are prop-
erly wearing their seat belts.

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.

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.

74 Safety and SecurityDriving and safety systems4-ETS
The 4-ETS improves vehicle’s ability to uti-
lize available traction, especially under
slippery road conditions. The brakes are
applied to the spinning wheel and power is
allowed to flow to the wheel(s) with trac-
tion.
The 4-ETS function is available between ve-
hicle speeds of 0 mph (km/h) and 37 mph
(60 km/h).
The ESP warning lamp
v
in the instru-
ment cluster (
page 24) lights up when
you turn the key to position2. It goes out
when the engine is running.
The ESP warning lamp
v
starts to flash
at any vehicle speed, as soon as the tires
lose traction and the wheels begin to spin.More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 238).
Warning!
G
When you see the ESP warning lamp
v

flashing in the speedometer dial, then pro-
ceed as follows:


While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible.


While driving ease up on the accelera-
tor.


Adapt your speed and driving style to
the prevailing road conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The 4-ETS cannot prevent accidents result-
ing from excessive speed.
!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 4-ETS will engage the
brakes and seriously damage the brake
system.