2004 MERCEDES-BENZ G500 key

209 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 a 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 150).
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 142).
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 SmartKey to starter switch
position0 and remove.


Take the SmartKey and lock vehicle
when leaving.

224 OperationAt the gas station
At the gas stationRefueling
The fuel filler flap is located on the
right-hand side of the vehicle towards the
rear. Locking/unlocking the vehicle with
the remote control automatically
locks/unlocks the fuel filler flap.

Turn off the engine.

Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.

Open the fuel filler flap by pushing at
the point indicated by the arrow.

Turn the fuel cap to the left and hold on
to it until possible pressure is released.

Take off the cap and set it in the recess
on the fuel filler flap.

To prevent fuel vapors from escaping
into open air, fully insert filler nozzle
unit.

Only fill your tank until the filler nozzle
unit cuts out – do not top up or overfill.

Replace the fuel cap by turning it to the
right.
You should hear the fuel filler cap en-
gage.

Close the fuel filler flap.
Warning!
G
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous.
It burns violently and can cause serious inju-
ry. Whenever you are around gasoline, avoid
inhaling fumes and skin contact, extinguish
all smoking materials. Never allow sparks,
flame or smoking materials near gasoline!
Failure to remove the fuel cap slowly could
result in personal injury.
Warning!
G
Overfilling of the fuel tank may create pres-
sure in the system which could cause a gas
discharge. This could cause the gas to spray
back out when removing the fuel pump noz-
zle, which could cause personal injury.!The fuel filler cap is tethered to the fuel
filler neck. Do not drop the cap. It could
damage the vehicle paint finish.
When refueling the vehicle, make cer-
tain that no gasoline comes into con-
tact with plastic tail lamp to prevent
damaging the lens.

229 Operation
Engine compartment
Checking engine oil level with the
control system
When checking the oil level the vehicle
must

be parked on level ground


be at normal operating temperature


have been stationary for at least five
minutes with the engine turned off
To check the engine oil level via the
multifunction display, do the following:

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position2.
The standard display (
page 115) should
appear in the multifunction display.

Press buttonk orj on the
steering wheel until the following
message is seen in the multifunction
display:MEASURE. CORRECT
ONLY IF VEH. LEVELAfter about three seconds this
message is displayed:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
MEASURING NOWOne of the following messages will
subsequently appear in the indicator:

ENGINE OIL LEVEL
OK


ADD 1.0 Qt. TO
REACH MAX. OIL LEVEL!(Canada:
1.0 LITER
)


ADD 1.5 Qts. TO
REACH MAX. OIL LEVEL!(Canada:
1.5 LITERS
)


ADD 2.0 Qts. TO
REACH MAX. OIL LEVEL!(Canada:
2.0 LITERS
)

If necessary, add engine oil.
For adding engine oil see (
page 231).
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 333) and
(
page 334).
Other display messages
If the SmartKey is not turned to position2
in the starter switch, the following
message will appear:
FOR ENGINE OIL LEVEL
SWITCH ON IGNITION!
Switch on the ignition.
If you see the message:
OBSERVE WAITING PERIOD
iIf you want to interrupt the checking
procedure, press thek orj
button on the multifunction steering
wheel.

235 Operation
Battery
Battery
The battery is located in front of the rear
seat bench and below the cup holder. Jump
starting terminals are located in the left
side of the engine compartment
(page 314). Refer to Service Booklet for
battery maintenance intervals.
The battery should always be sufficiently
charged in order to achieve its rated ser-
vice life.
If you use your vehicle less than approxi-
mately 200 miles (300 km) per month,
mostly for short-distance trips, or if it is not
used for long periods of time, you will need
to have the battery charge checked more
frequently and corrected if necessary.
When replacing batteries, always use bat-
teries approved by Mercedes-Benz.
If you do not intend to operate your vehicle
for an extended period of time, consult an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center about steps you need to observe.Batteries contain materials that can harm
the environment if disposed of improperly.
Recycling of batteries is the preferred
method of disposal. Many states require
sellers of batteries to accept old batteries
for recycling.
For more information, see “Battery”
(
page 311).
G
Observe all safety instructions
and precautions when handling
automotive batteries.
A
Risk of explosion
D
Keep flames or sparks away
from battery. Do not smoke.
B
Battery acid is caustic. Do not
allow it to come into contact
with skin, eyes or clothing.
In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with clear
water and seek medical help if
necessary.
E
Wear eye protection.
C
Keep children away.
F
Follow the instructions in this
Operator’s Manual.
iIf the battery is discharged

you will no longer be able to turn
the SmartKey in the starter switch


the gear selector lever will remain
locked in positionP

247 Operation
Vehicle care
Cleaning the Rear Parking Assist
sensors*
1Sensor
Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car Sham-
poo, with plenty of water to clean
sensor1.
To prevent scratches, never apply strong
force and use only a soft, non-scratchy
cloth when cleaning the sensor. Do not at-
tempt to wipe dirty sensors with a dry cloth
or sponge.Wiper blades

Fold wiper arms forward.

Clean the wiper blade inserts with a
clean cloth and detergent solution.Window cleaning

Fold wiper arms forward.

Use a window cleaning solution on all
glass surfaces.
An automotive glass cleaner is recom-
mended.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and re-
move SmartKey from starter switch before
cleaning the wiper blades, otherwise the
wiper motor can suddenly turn on and cause
injury.!Fold the windshield wiper arms back
onto the windshield before turning the
SmartKey in the starter switch.
Hold on to the wiper when folding the
wiper arm back. If released, the force
of the impact from the tensioning
spring could crack the windshield.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and re-
move SmartKey from starter switch before
cleaning the windshield, otherwise the wiper
motor can suddenly turn on and cause inju-
ry.!Fold the windshield wiper arms back
onto the windshield before turning the
SmartKey in the starter switch.
Hold on to the wiper when folding the
wiper arm back. If released, the force
of the impact from the tensioning
spring could crack the windshield.

252 Practical hintsWhat to do if …
What to do if …Lamps in instrument clusterGeneral information:
If a bulb in the instrument cluster fails to
come on during the bulb self-check when turning the SmartKey in starter switch to
position2, have it checked and replaced if
necessary.Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
-
The yellow ABS indicator lamp
comes on while driving.
You engaged the differential locks. The ABS,
ESP, BAS, EBB and 4-ETS are switched off.

The driving systems will switch on
again after the differential locks have
been disengaged.
The ABS has detected a malfunction and has
switched off. The ESP, BAS, EBB and 4-ETS
are also switched off (see messages in dis-
play).
If the ABS control unit is malfunctioning, oth-
er systems such as the navigation system or
Rear Parking Assist* may also malfunction.
The brake system is still functioning normally
but without the ABS available.

Continue driving with added caution.
Wheels will lock during hard braking
reducing steering capability.

Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Cen-
ter as soon as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions in-
creases the risk of an accident.

260 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Messages in the multifunction display
The control system shows warning and
malfunction messages in the multifunction
display.
Certain warning and malfunction messag-
es are accompanied by an audible signal.
Address these messages accordingly and
follow the additional instructions given in
this Operator’s Manual.
Selecting the malfunction memory menu in
the control system (
page 122) displays
both cleared and uncleared messages.
High-priority messages appear in the mul-
tifunction display in red colour.
Certain messages of high priority cannot
be cleared from the multifunction display
using the reset button (page 112).
Other high-priority messages and messag-
es of less immediate priority (regular dis-
play colours) can be cleared from the
multifunction display using the reset but-
ton and are then stored in the malfunction
message memory (
page 122).On the pages that follow, you will find a
compilation of the most important warning
and malfunction messages that may ap-
pear in the multifunction display. High-
priority messages appear on a red back-
ground.
Warning!
G
All categories of messages contain impor-
tant information which should be taken note
of and, where a malfunction is indicated, ad-
dressed as soon as possible at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Failure to repair condition noted may cause
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty, or result in property dam-
age or personal injury.Warning!
G
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction dis-
play is inoperative. Systems that have a sig-
nificant influence on handling performance
may not be functioning.
Contact your nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
iTurning the SmartKey in starter switch
to position2 causes all lamps as well
as the multifunction display to come
on. Make sure they are all in working
order before starting your journey.

273 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
A
RESERVE FUEL
GO TO GAS STATION
The fuel level has dropped below the re-
serve mark.

Refuel at the next gas station
(page 224).
CHECK GAS CAP
SEE OPERATOR’S MANUAL
The fuel cap is not closed tightly.

Check the fuel cap (
page 224).
Y
HOOD OPEN!
You are driving with the hood open.

Close the hood (
page 228).
I
REMOVE KEY!
You have forgotten to remove the Smart-
Key.

Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
REPLACE KEY
DRIVE TO WORKSHOP!
No additional code available for Smart-
Key.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center.